Flaw
by Oo-Rainpath-oO
Summary: This is my first fanfic! It is about two cats with special powers, and they have something to do with the Power of Three. Please just LEAVE A REVIEW, I took my time to write it! Now completed! Sequel, Perfection is now out!
1. Allegiances

**ThunderClan**

**LEADER**

Firestar- handsome ginger tom with flame-colored pelt and bright green eyes

**MEDICINE CAT**

Leafpool-small light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, white chest, and white paws

Jayfeather- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

**DEPUTY**

Brambleclaw- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**WARRIORS**

Graystripe- long-haired gray tom with amber eyes

Sandstorm- pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

Brackenfur- golden brown tabby tom

Cloudtail- long-furred white tom with blue eyes

Brightheart- white she-cat with ginger patches

Dustpelt- dark brown tabby with amber eyes

Thornclaw- golden brown tabby tom

Spiderleg- long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

Sorreltail- tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

Berrynose- cream-colored tom

Birchfall- light brown tabby tom

Cinderheart- gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Hazeltail- small gray and white she-cat

Lionblaze- golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Mousewhisker- gray-and-white tom

Poppyfrost- tortoiseshell she-cat

Lightningbrook- handsome ginger tabby tom with white streak from forehead down to nose, bright yellow eyes

Apprentice, Duskpaw

Pineheart- dark brown she-cat with green eyes

Millie- light gray tabby she-cat

Squirrelflight- dark ginger she-cat with green eyes and a bushy tail

Sunstorm- bright ginger tabby tom with amber eyes

Brookwing- silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes and white smudges on pelt

Gingerpatch- broad white tom with ginger patches and amber eyes

Lakespring- white tabby tom with blue eyes

Apprentice, Lilypaw

Whitewing- pretty white she-cat with green eyes

Foxcatcher- reddish tabby tom

Icestorm- white she-cat with bright blue eyes

Roseheart- dark cream she-cat

Toadskipper- black-and-white tom

Whitewing- pretty white she-cat with green eyes

Blossomheart- tortoiseshell she-cat with white patches and a brown stripe down back

Briarleaf- dark brown she-cat

Bumblestripe- pale gray tom with black stripes

Ivymoon- light brown tabby-and-white she-cat

Dovewing- fluffy gray she-cat with green eyes

**APPRENTICES**

Duskpaw- dusky brown tom with amber eyes

Skypaw- cream-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Lilypaw- white tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

**ELDERS**

Longtail- pale tabby tom with black stripes; retired early due to failing sight

Mousefur- small dusky brown she-cat

**QUEENS**

Ferncloud- pale gray she-cat with darker flecks and pale green eyes

Daisy- cream long-furred she-cat

Glacestorm- heavily pregnant beautiful white she-cat with bright blue eyes

Apprentice, Skypaw (temporary mentor: Whitewing)

**RiverClan**

**LEADER**

Mistystar- gray she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice, Rainpaw

**MEDICINE CAT**

Mothwing- beautiful dappled golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Willowshine- light gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**DEPUTY**

Reedwhisker- black tom

**WARRIORS**

Blackclaw- smoky-black tom

Voletooth- small brown tabby tom

Beechfur- light brown tom

Dapplenose- mottled gray she-cat

Dawnflower- pale gray she-cat

Pouncetail- ginger-and-white tom

Apprentice, Snowpaw

Streamleaf- dark gray tom with green eyes

Apprentice, Frostpaw

Creampelt- cream-and-white tom with amber eyes

Apprentice, Dewpaw

Glimmerheart- beautiful golden brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Maplewood- light-brown she-cat with warm brown eyes

Apprentice, Goldenpaw

Icewing- white she-cat with blue eyes

Sparktail- tortoiseshell and white tom with yellow eyes

**APPRENTICES**

Dewpaw- small dark gray tabby tom with blue eyes and white flecks

Frostpaw- white she-cat with blue eyes

Deerpaw- tortoiseshell tom with amber eyes

Goldenpaw- pretty dappled golden brown tabby she-cat

Rainpaw- pretty blue-gray she-cat with brilliant blue eyes and white chest

Snowpaw- white tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**ELDERS**

Swallowtail- dark tabby she-cat

Stonestream- gray tom

**QUEENS**

Graymist- pale gray tabby she-cat; mother to kits Tumblekit (small pale gray) and Hummingkit (tortoiseshell and white)

**WindClan**

**LEADER**

Onestar- brown tabby tom

**MEDICINE CAT**

Barkface- short-tailed brown tom

Apprentice, Kestreltail (mottled gray tom)

**DEPUTY**

Ashfoot- gray she-cat**  
**

**WARRIORS**

Crowfeather- smoky gray, almost black tom with blue eyes

Nightcloud- black she-cat

Breezepelt- black tom with amber eyes

Apprentice, Branchpaw

Heathertail- light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice, Tailpaw

Whitetail- small white she-cat

Weaselfur- ginger tom with white paws

Owlwhisker- light brown tabby tom

Apprentice, Rabbitpaw

Harespring- brown-and-white tom

Apprentice, Otterpaw

Gorsetail- very pale gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Thistletail- long-haired white tom

Swallowwing- dark gray she-cat

Antpelt- brown tom with one black ear

Emberfoot- gray tom with two dark paws

Sunshine- tortoiseshell she-cat with large white mark on her forehead

Moonstream- beautiful silver tabby she-cat with pale blue eyes

Sedgeheart- light brown tabby she-cat**  
**

**APPRENTICES**

Branchpaw- small dark brown tabby tom with copper eyes

Tailpaw- gray she-cat with enormous amber eyes, white front paws, long white tail

Otterpaw- dark brown tabby tom, blue eyes

Rabbitpaw- light brown-and-white she-cat, amber eyes, black splotches

**ELDERS**

Webfoot- dark gray tabby tom

Tornear- tabby tom

**QUEENS**

Featherflight- light gray tabby she-cat with leathery pelt; mother to Harespring's kits: Earthkit, Palekit, and Minikit

**ShadowClan**

**LEADER**

Blackstar- large white tom with huge jet-black paws

**MEDICINE CAT**

Littlecloud- very small brown tabby tom with light blue eyes Apprentice, Flamepelt (ginger tom)

**DEPUTY**

Russetfur- dark ginger she-cat

**WARRIORS**

Oakfur- small brown tom

Smokefoot- black tom

Snowbird- pure white she-cat

Tawnypelt- tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Rowanclaw- ginger tom

Toadfoot- dark brown tom

Shadeclaw- pale gray tom with white chest and black paws

Owlfur- light brown tabby tom

Murkheart- black she-cat

Whitewater- white she-cat with long fur, blind in one eye

Darkpool- mottled dark gray she-cat

Apprentice, Swiftpaw

Tigerheart- dark brown tabby tom

Apprentice, Frogpaw

Dawnpool- cream-furred she-cat

Apprentice, Starlingpaw

**APPRENTICES**

Frogpaw- white tom with light brown paws, green eyes

Swiftpaw- swift ginger she-cat with white patches, amber eyes, white tail

Starlingpaw- small black-and-white tom, green eyes, gray splotches**  
**

**ELDERS **

Cedarheart- dark gray tom

Tallpoppy- long-legged light brown tabby she-cat

**QUEENS**

Ivytail- black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat; mother to Smokefoot's kits: Sparrowkit, Thrushkit, and Swampkit

**Cats Outside the Clans**

Jacques- huge black-and-white tom that lives in the Twoleg nest

Susan- pale gray tabby kittypet that lives in the Twoleg nest

Poppy- very light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes; Starry's mate

Starry- ginger tabby tom with white paws, chest, and tail-tip, yellow eyes; Poppy's mate

Rose- tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes and white paws

Lavender- gray tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes and white chest

Tansy- light brown tabby she-cat with yellow eyes and white tail-tip


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

A sleek white shape crept comfortably in the corner of foggy darkness, mumbling in her sleep. Another shape emerged, pale gray with darker gray flecks, and a pair of icy-blue eyes. He nudged the white she-cat gently with his shoulder, flicking his tail at her ears as her whiskers twitched violently. Then he whispered quietly, "Wake up, Whitewing." The she-cat's bright green eyes snapped open, and then, gazing unbelievably at the gray tom, asked uncertainly, "Ashfur?" Ashfur nodded, his azure eyes blazing. Attempting to act friendly, he meowed, "I see you have bore two quite lovely little kits."

"What do you want to do with them?" snapped Whitewing defensively. "I won't let a single cat harm them, not even cats from StarClan!" A smug gleam flashed in Ashfur's eyes, causing Whitewing to shudder immensely. He murmured, "Ah… but I am not of StarClan…" Whitewing cocked her head inquisitively. What did he say? She repeated her thoughts to Ashfur, and the pale tom replied calmly, "It is nothing important. What is important, though," he continued, with a peculiar look Whitewing couldn't read printed on his face, "is about your kits."

Fear slithered through Whitewing's body like an adder. What did _Ashfur _want to do to her kits? Wasn't he a noble ThunderClan warrior? Sharply, she asked, "What? You better spit it out, or I'm going to get out of this odd nightmare and never see you again!" A ghostly smile hung on Ashfur's face. "Very well," he meowed. "I know the future of your kits. They will guide the powerful with their abilities… but they may as well face death if they continue to stay in ThunderClan… where they do not belong." Shock invaded Whitewing's gaze as she gasped, "Are you speaking the truth, Ashfur?" The spirit dipped his head. Whitewing expected him to nod sadly, but instead, he held a blissful look in his face.

"Then I shall not risk my kits! They will not stay in ThunderClan!" cried Whitewing as she padded away, out of the Dark Forest. Ashfur watched Whitewing leave, an arrogant gleam in his eyes. Slowly, two dark figures padded out of the murk. One was a huge dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes and extremely long front claws. The other tom was of the same coloring, but with a white underbelly and ice-blue eyes. The larger tom meowed, pleased, "You have done well, Ashfur." Dipping his head, Ashfur replied, "The least I can do, Tigerstar." The smaller tom meowed, "Yes… now the foolish she-cat will give away her kits… and ThunderClan will be destroyed."

Ashfur's eyes widened. "Why ThunderClan? Hawkfrost, why didn't you tell me that?" Hawkfrost's eyes glinted slyly. "Ashfur, you are so gullible. You do this all because you need a mate. And just because of that, you are able to make the same mistake twice." Tigerstar unsheathed his claws, and then meowed, "Farewell, Ashfur. I hope you will enjoy taking full responsibility for what you have done." He and Hawkfrost scrambled away, into shrouded shadows, leaving the pale gray tom struck with horror.

"What have I done?" he asked himself. "This prophecy was supposed to destroy whom I hate. Why is it about to destroy my own Clan? Oh, no…" he murmured gloomily. "I must tell Whitewing the true prophecy. It is a prophecy that belongs to her kits!" He searched for Whitewing again to identify her dreams, but her location was shrouded in a thick fog. Why had he done that? All he wanted was to destroy Squirrelflight… Suddenly, Whitewing entered the murk again. The white she-cat demanded, "Was your prophecy true?"

Shaken, Ashfur replied, "It—" until a black she-cat padded into the forest, stars in her pelt, her green eyes gleaming. The moment Ashfur saw her, he froze. Furiously she yowled, "Ashfur! You are disobeying the warrior code! You should obey it even when you're dead!" Ashfur's claws sank into the earth. That mouse-brained idiot! How could she be so curt to him, when _she _was the one who rippled his life away from him? Infuriated, Ashfur replied, unsheathing his claws, "Hollyleaf, I have done nothing wrong!"

"Yes you have!" Hollyleaf meowed swiftly. Then her eyes glimmered sadly. "We all make mistakes. Whitewing, if you are listening to him, you are making a mistake. Get over here!" Reluctantly, Whitewing padded over to Hollyleaf, who led her into a mass of starlight. Frantically, Ashfur wailed out loud, "I was just about to undo my mistake! What had Hollyleaf done, that mouse-brained idiot?!" He sighed grimly. Was there any way he could repay what he had done?

In a starry, concealed corner, Hollyleaf looked intently at the sky with her green gaze. "No, Ashfur," she murmured softly. "You have not done what was wrong. It is for fate to decide now… and if all goes well, you will be allowed… the passageway to StarClan."


	3. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Rainkit lifted her gaze into the sky, basking her gray-blue pelt and flank. Beside her was her best friend, Snowkit. She pounced upward and told Snowkit, "Let's practice catching fish now!" Her friend nodded roughly and they both sprang toward the small stream. Unsheathing her claws, Rainkit swiped her paws into the water, digging up a small silvery trout. Yes! She was getting better and better at it. Snowkit stumbled away towards the nursery to show-off her tiny trout to her mother, Dapplenose. The Clan was in a lazy mood, and the RiverClan leader, Mistystar settled beside Rainkit, her clear blue eyes glittering proudly at the kit. "You are getting along well with catching fish, Rainkit." Politely, Rainkit offered her trout to the Clan leader, who gladly accepted it. Then she meowed, "Mistystar, tell me the story about how you found me again."

"Sure," the gray-blue she-cat replied warmly. "It was snowing heavily that day— did you know that?" Rainkit shook her head, and the RiverClan leader continued: "I was sound asleep in the leader's den when I heard loud, desperate mews. It was you, Rainkit, who saved yourself. At once, I recognized the mewling of a kit, and pounced out of my den in stealthy pawsteps. Rainkit, I found you crawling near the stream. I couldn't identify your Clan scent or mother's scent, as the snow was too heavy and was smeared all over you. Quickly I licked you until you warmed up, and the snow melted, revealing you, little gray-blue Rainkit. I only smelled a faint, strange scent on you then… but I couldn't recognize whose scent it was. There was no way I could abandon you. So I took you in. It must've been what your mother wanted, too… But I wish we knew who your mother was." Rainkit growled silently. _Who _wouldn't _wish that?_ But Mistystar was the cat who saved her life. She respected her all along. Blue eyes met blue, and Rainkit mewled, "Thanks, Mistystar!" then, she deliberately changed the topic— "Did you enjoy the trout I caught?" she asked, a hint of hope in her voice.

Mistystar nodded zealously. "It was delicious," she coed, her voice muffled by the slick trout. Then, she grabbed Rainkit by the scruff and carried her towards the stream. "Why don't we resume in your swimming lessons?" Mistystar encouraged kindly. Blissfully, Rainkit squealed, "Swimming!" She loved the damp feeling when water soaked on her fur like moss. So far it was her favorite hobby. _I can't wait till I can swim like a fish! _Mistystar instructed Rainkit as she splashed into the small stream, her front paws paddling a soft rhythm. She kept her tail straight, leading the way for her paws, making sure she would move on straightly. Her back paws paddled lightly as water sprang into the air like a few lively fish. Rainkit kept her belly flat and her head high, so she could keep balance. When she finally finished swimming and pounced out of the thin pool, Mistystar exclaimed, "Rainkit, that was fabulous! You are ready to leave the nursery, now that you can swim real well, and you're six moons old!" Excitement clawed Rainkit's belly as she squeaked, "Really?" The leader dipped her head, her tail wagging like a dog, but with a steadier rhythm. _Thanks, Mistystar!_ Rainkit thought delightfully. _Thanks for everything!_

"RiverClan names apprentices to keep the Clan strong. Today, there is one apprentice to be named," Mistystar's voice echoed through the RiverClan camp. "I will mentor Rainpaw myself." Dazzled, Rainpaw thought, _I'm mentored by the Clan leader! I'm mentored by the Clan leader! _She was abruptly singing a tune in her head. To her, Mistystar was like her mother. Yes, she didn't care if she didn't know who her parents were— she was a cat who would live by the present. Snowkit glanced at Rainpaw, her blue eyes twinkling with envy and joy. A tinge of sympathy raked Rainpaw's belly. She and Snowkit were about the same age, but the white tabby kit had not mastered swimming yet. Hopefully Snowkit would leave the nursery as soon as Rainpaw was apprenticed. Her thoughts trailed away as she touched noses with the respected leader. Their whiskers brushed, and two blue-gray pelts swished each other. The sun was still bright, and she padded out of the camp with her mentor.

Cheerily Mistystar told her, "Why don't we go practice your fighting skills near the Greenleaf Twolegplace? Its earth is soft and muddy. But we better watch out for ShadowClan cats." Nodding obediently, Rainpaw trailed after her leader steadily. They arrived and a small paved Thunderpath came into her view. It was ShadowClan territory, and Rainpaw knew to never cross the border. A strong stench of frogs and lizards overtook her nose. _Yuck,_ she thought, holding her breath. _Do ShadowClan cats ever wash?_ Suddenly she saw a mottled gray shape pad towards the border from ShadowClan territory, along with a smaller ginger-and-white figure. They were two ShadowClan she-cats, a mentor leading her apprentice. Curtly, Mistystar meowed, "Greetings, Darkpool." The mottled dark gray she-cat dipped her head, as the ginger-and-white apprentice glowered at Rainpaw.

"Be polite, Swiftpaw!" scolded Darkpool impatiently at the young cat. The ginger she-cat with white patches gazed at Rainpaw awkwardly, and then mewed boorishly, "Why do I have to be respectful towards two fishy cats?" Anger flared inside Rainpaw as she replied calmly, "Because we are worth respecting, unlike you." Satisfaction oozed through her as she saw Swiftpaw's expression twist uncertainly; she hadn't expected Rainpaw to reply. Darkpool dropped her head courteously at Rainpaw, surprising her, and mewed, "Apprentice, you have said truth," then she turned to face Swiftpaw with a fierce expression on her face. "Now let's go, Swiftpaw!" She stomped away as Swiftpaw led her fleetly. The ShadowClan warrior couldn't catch up with her.

_What a mouse-brained cat!_ Rainpaw thought disgracefully. _She needs to learn to shut up!_ Mistystar glanced at Rainpaw and remarked, "That Swiftpaw was quite a cat." Rainpaw nodded in agreement. Then she started practicing fighting moves with Mistystar, pouncing, turning, and slashing her claws ferociously. When she returned, she and her mentor had a small hunt in the stream. Rainpaw caught several fish and carried them into the camp smugly.

"Would you like some fresh-kill?" Rainpaw called out as she entered the elder's den. A dark tabby head poked out from under a bed of moss. Swallowtail called out, "Over here, please, Rainpaw." Obediently Rainpaw brought fish to Swallowtail. Then Stonestream entered the den, asking for a trout. The elders had always been particularly nice to Rainpaw. She didn't know why. Maybe it was because Mistystar was superfluously kind to Rainpaw, or they just like her. Rainpaw guessed it was because she respected them.

After fetching fresh-kill for the elders, Rainpaw basked in the sun on some rocks. She stared out around the camp. Mistystar and her deputy, Reedwhisker were sharing tongues. Rainpaw guessed they were talking about patrols. When Mistystar finished talking, she ambled to where Rainpaw lay and settled down with her. The leader had always treasured Rainpaw like she was her kit. "Rainpaw…" Mistystar's voice was somewhat grim. Cocking her head, Rainpaw asked, "What, Mistystar?"

"That strange scent I told you I smelled before… Rainpaw!" Mistystar's voice lifted into a high pitch. Frightened, Rainpaw murmured, "Yes?" Anxiously, Mistystar cried, "That strange scent I smelled on you when I first found you… there's a tiny tinge of it on Swiftpaw, too!" Shocked, Rainpaw whimpered. "Swiftpaw? Swiftpaw of ShadowClan?" Mistystar dipped her head shamefully, and then meowed, "No, it can never be. You are much polite and brighter. It is not true. Let us forget this discussion and talk about your training." Yes, Rainpaw was the easygoing type. It was not true. Mistystar probably made a mistake— and finding Rainpaw was such a long time ago, she can't have remembered the scent. There was no possibility that Swiftpaw may be like Rainpaw… abandoned by their mother.


	4. Chapter 2

**~~ Hi! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I've worked really hard on each chapter, so I hope you all really enjoy. Anyhow, please give me your critiques and rate/review!! Thanks! ^v^ Well, enjoy Chapter 2!!~~**

**Chapter 2**

Frustrated, Swiftpaw peeled of the chewy skin of the green frog and swallowed the flesh whole. It was delicious, and tasted like fish mixed with a little rabbit. She hated RiverClan cats, let alone that blue-gray apprentice. Swiftpaw had never been beaten in harassing other cats. But that RiverClan apprentice did it. Swiftpaw could not say anything after her words. It was odd. That gray cat had some kind of peculiar tension that made Swiftpaw freeze. You can't expect any cat to stay calm when the apprentice meowed _calmly_, "Because we are worth respecting, unlike you." How could she stay so calm when she was shooting insults at cats? Whenever Swiftpaw attempted to insult a cat, she would sneer even if she did not intend to. Was that her characteristic? No!

After the delectable fresh-kill, Swiftpaw rubbed her belly with her warm pink tongue. Then she raced off towards the apprentice's den to chat with her friend Starlingpaw. He was a unique small black-and-white tom with gray splotches and bright green eyes. Starlingpaw was easily frightened, the opposite of Swiftpaw! She was always bold and fierce and eager to prove herself, as she was not pure ShadowClan. But in her heart she was. If any cat from another Clan gave her one look, they'd think she was a pure ShadowClan cat! It didn't matter if she did not know who her parents were or if she was Clanborn or not. She held a firm heart in ShadowClan, and that would never change. Swiftpaw could never forget her apprentice naming ceremony. Darkpool was the cat who found Swiftpaw as a kit near the ThunderClan border. Because it was a part of the warrior code to never neglect kits, even kits you do not know of, Darkpool brought Swiftpaw to ShadowClan. At first, Blackstar was edgy about Swiftkit, but when she started to get good at fighting moves and proved that she had somewhat of a ShadowClan blood deep inside her, Blackstar was proud of her.

But in her naming ceremony, he had told Darkpool, "You brought her in, so it is naturally your responsibility to mentor her." The dark gray she-cat had dipped her head. Finally, Swiftpaw found a pair of unblinking green eyes between two bushes of ferns. Playfully, she pounced onto the dark cat she thought was Starlingpaw. Oops! It was Murkheart, Starlingpaw's mother. The black she-cat scolded, "Can't you tell the difference between the scent of Starlingpaw and me?" Swiftpaw shook her head dismissively, and then meowed, "Hmm… yes, I can, since you have a much thicker stench of grouchiness!" Fleetly she sprang away, but bumped into a black, white, and gray apprentice. "Starlingpaw!"

The small apprentice's emerald eyes were shimmering with sorrow. "Don't mess around with my mother, please; she's extra grumpy these days, because Stripefur got ran over by a monster." Nodding sadly, Swiftpaw meowed, "It was horrific… the way he died!" Stripefur was Starlingpaw's father, and Murkheart's beloved mate. The pale gray tom with black stripes was killed by a nasty yellow monster two days ago, and Murkheart was gloomy ever since. What was it like to lose someone precious? Swiftpaw didn't dare imagine. And anyways, no cat was precious to her! Just maybe Starlingpaw or Darkpool.

"But anyways," Starlingpaw began thoughtfully, "You looked grim. Did anything bad happen?" A smile twisted Swiftpaw's gaze. Her best friend always understood her… He always knew when to encourage her and when to scold her. Amber eyes met green, and Swiftpaw mewed, "Oh, a shrewd RiverClan apprentice got me. I was attempting to harass her… but I lost." Amusement flickered in the jade-colored gaze of the black-and-white apprentice. Then he questioned suspiciously, "Are you lying?"

"Why should I lie about this?!" snapped Swiftpaw glumly. "She was so calm; I could not find the right words to match hers!" Furiously she knocked her paws at the muddy earth. Once again, astonishment shimmered in Starlingpaw's eyes. _Seriously!_ Swiftpaw yelled silently. _Why is he actually snickering?_ Why was Starlingpaw not being appreciative? Blinking, Swiftpaw glared at him. "Why are you chuckling, Starlingpaw?" The small apprentice shrugged brightly, and then mewed, "I have no idea why losing in harassing cats sticks so tightly onto your nerves, Swiftpaw."

Puzzled, the ginger apprentice asked, "What do you mean?" Cheerily the black-and-white tom replied, "You know, not being able to harass back isn't as if the sky was falling down or what. Swiftpaw, you don't have to take it so seriously." Fury flamed inside Swiftpaw. She thought he would understand how essential it was to her! To her, her sharp tongue was the strongest connection she had with ShadowClan. The way she talked sounded like ShadowClan… couldn't Starlingpaw just understand? …No… it was impossible, Swiftpaw concluded. Starlingpaw may have lost his father, but he was pure Clanborn. Swiftpaw came… from nowhere. How could Starlingpaw understand? But she let her rage control her.

"You don't understand!" wailed Swiftpaw. She merely barked at him. Then she raced off bleakly with her eyes watery with fear of Starlingpaw hating her, hate for being not Clanborn, desire to prove herself… and ferocity to revenge the blue-gray RiverClan apprentice who had caused all this. Cursing RiverClan silently, she went to sleep.

Swiftpaw had a dream after she barked at Starlingpaw that night. In the night, the moon was bright and round, full and bloated with moonlight. A clear stream flowed on the moon… And then a pale, silvery shape of a cat emerged. Dark blue eyes glittered in the murk ghostly. Then a blue-gray figure appeared, sitting beside Swiftpaw, with light blue eyes glimmering with fear. When the gray cat's shape developed from the shadows, Swiftpaw felt a peculiar tinge of a familiar feeling. Why did that cat seem familiar? She could just recognize the cat……

The RiverClan apprentice.

_What's _she _doing here in my dreams?_ Swiftpaw thought furiously. A strong slash of a tail struck on Swiftpaw's pelt. Suddenly everything went black, and Swiftpaw could see no more. With horror, she sprang upward, bumping into warm furs of brown and white. Frogpaw sprang up, annoyed. "Let me sleep once in a while, Swiftpaw!" Quickly she retorted, "You're the mouse-brain who slapped me with your fat tail!" Then she sighed. It was so much easier to insult Frogpaw. The white tom with brown paws and green eyes was Starlingpaw's brother. Although Frogpaw was annoying and mean, he was a friend of Swiftpaw's. But right now, Swiftpaw hated Frogpaw. The dream _had _to mean something… But what was it about when the apprentice appeared?

She _had _to find out.


	5. Chapter 3

**~~CHAPTER 3!! This chapter is one of my favorite chapters that I've written. It's a full description of the dream Swiftpaw had (obviously Rainpaw had the same dream)!! Again again, I'm gonna say, Rate&Review! Thanks. :D~~**

**Chapter 3**

Yawning widely, Rainpaw glanced around edgily. No thunder and lightning, murk, moons with streams, or a ginger-and-white Swiftpaw. Most of all, no dark brown tabbies. So far so good. She had an ominous dream, and she had seen many horrific things in the— _nightmare_. First, a warm scent wrapped around her… it smelled faint but sweet, like fresh-kill. Then, another scent— this time a stench, slithered through the clear air, burning Rainpaw's nose hotly. It smelled like crow-food. Soon, a loud, rumbling sound of lightning roared in the clearing of murk she was in. A streak of yellow thunder crashed across the sky, sending a loud grumble from the ground. Rainpaw's paws shook violently along with the ground as she attempted to steady herself.

Suddenly, the thundering disappeared. Dark clouds cleared, and it revealed a plump, bumpy pale white moon. On it, Rainpaw could just make out a thin stream with sparkling clear water. _A stream on the moon? _It was absolutely ridiculous. Could it even mean anything? Then, a horrific odor of frog and lizard trailed viciously into Rainpaw's body. _ShadowClan! How could they enter my dreams?_ A ginger blur dissolved in from thin air. Clouds covered the wide moon once more with vigorous shadows, casting Rainpaw in total darkness. All she could see was herself… she could just feel the soft, grassy forest floor underneath her paws… But before the ginger blur came into shape, another cat stepped out from the shadows along with a lovable aroma. It was a fragrance Rainpaw had never smelled before. Although it must have come from another Clan, it actually smelled lovely! Wildflowers… Rainpaw could just make out the scent. Berries… leaves… rabbits… the wind… Could it possibly be WindClan? Yes, it had to be. But why did it smell so good? Normal WindClan cats wouldn't smell fine at all. The cat, shaded with the murk surrounding her, had dark silver tabby stripes and a brighter silver pelt. Blue eyes flashed, and her glimmering flank glistened under the moonlight that had once been revealed again. She was exquisite and attractive, with unblinking, enormous pale blue eyes that shimmered as if it were starlight. Her plume of a tail was fluffy and sweet. Dazzled, Rainpaw questioned, "Who are you?

Warmly she told Rainpaw, "I am…." But her voice trailed off… and her lovely figure blurred away. Pounding the ground wildly with her paws, Rainpaw yowled, "Wait! You didn't tell me who you are yet!" Gloomily Rainpaw sighed. "What's up with this odd dream?" Suddenly, the ginger blur reappeared, but clearer. It was Swiftpaw. _No! Not the cat I didn't ever want to see again!_ Any ShadowClan cat would be fine… but Swiftpaw? Astounded, Rainpaw realized that Swiftpaw wasn't talking or moving. Her jaws were stretched open, and her white tail flicked with fright. When she gazed into Swiftpaw's amber eyes, they were full of fear.

"Swiftpaw?" asked Rainpaw, who was half-squeaking. The ginger apprentice was staring at _something_… Her blue eyes soon met what Swiftpaw's eyes must've met. A huge dark brown tabby tom with extended long claws that seemed to snarl at Rainpaw stepped forward from the shadows. Amber eyes glowed. At once Rainpaw knew who it was; she had heard many nursery tales about him— and she knew the tales were all true, just occasionally over exaggerated by the elders.

Tigerstar. It was Tigerstar, the treacherous and ambitious cat who had nearly destroyed all the Clans. A sneer slid across his gaze. "Hello, I have always wanted to meet you, Rainpaw. I had decided to visit you first. Are you honored?" Snarling, Rainpaw meowed crudely, "No, I am not honored. Get me out of here!" Blinking, Tigerstar mewed, "I thought you would need me to lead your pawsteps?"

"Fox dung!" hollered Rainpaw. "I have a mentor, and I can survive by myself if I have to!" Surprised, Tigerstar dipped his head and growled, "I will visit your dreams again, Rainpaw… I will convince you to be on my side." Offensively, Rainpaw scoffed, "You're dead! Don't come back!" Furiously, she padded out of the dark.

Her head hurting, Rainpaw scampered clumsily out of the apprentice's den. Why had the dark tom entered her dreams? It was horrendous to encounter a cat so frightening. Inelegantly she stumbled toward her mentor, who was already waiting impatiently at the entrance of the camp. When she arrived, Mistystar meowed, "I thought I told you to wake up early to review fighting moves?" Dropping her head shamefully, Rainpaw sighed. "Yes, Mistystar; I'm really sorry. But I was suffering from a nightmare… it was hard, and it all seemed so true!" Sighing, Mistystar replied, "Okay, but this is your second and last chance. Don't oversleep again." Nodding, Rainpaw followed Mistystar towards the Greenleaf Twolegplace once more. Silently she hoped Swiftpaw was not training there.

"Attack me!" yowled Mistystar, with Rainpaw two fox-lengths away from her. Still thanking StarClan for not sending Swiftpaw towards the Twolegplace, the gray apprentice shot forward to claw Mistystar. As her leader dodged her easily, she mewed, "Too direct, Rainpaw! I can see exactly what you were trying to do when you leaped at me!" Frustrated, Rainpaw slashed her tail at Mistystar's paws, attempting to trip her. But instead, Mistystar pounced up, placed her teeth softly on her tail, and lashed her body backwards. Mistystar taunted her, "Too slow, Rainpaw! You got to be faster than that!" Then she suddenly charged towards Rainpaw, her claws sheathed. Swiftly Rainpaw stepped aside, letting Mistystar land beside her, missing her. Smugly she turned to face Mistystar, only with her mouth hit by a tail.

Mockingly Mistystar meowed, "A ShadowClan warrior wouldn't wait for you to face her and brag!" _ShadowClan,_ spat Rainpaw silently. _They're too slow and stupid, they would most likely wait!_ Then she gave Mistystar a surprising blow on the tail, tripping Mistystar. Just when she was about to give her leader a small scratch, a gray-blue leg kicked her face. Calmly Mistystar instructed, "When you are striking blows make sure you do it continuously, but not too often, and be cautious all the time." Dipping her head, Rainpaw followed her leader as she led her towards the stream to end their battle training.

At night, Rainpaw crouched down in the familiar nest of moss and ferns she had made. Facing the roof of her den, she heard the drips of rain splattering against the vegetation. Inquisitively, she wondered if she would have the dream again. Would that pretty silver tabby visit her again? Rainpaw hoped so. Soon her curiosity and deep sea of questions drowned in her sleep. Waves of dreamy radiance swirled around Rainpaw. Was it a dream? It sure seemed different from yesterday's. Suddenly darkness overlapped her, burying her into the depths of total shade. Dappled pine trees sat near Rainpaw contently. There was no moon; and the forest seemed to be in eternal night. Desperately, Rainpaw stared up, searching for the Silverpelt. There was no sign of it.

"Welcome, Rainpaw," a dark voice echoed through the clearing. "I have come to visit you again." At once Rainpaw knew who it was. Tigerstar. The dark brown tabby tom glared at Rainpaw sharply. Mutinously Rainpaw questioned, "Why do you have to keep bothering me?" Amber eyes gleamed in the shadows. "I can lead you towards the right path," growled Tigerstar. "I can train you to become a perfect warrior." Irritated, Rainpaw shot back, "I don't need your help, as I said before!"

A smile slid across Tigerstar's sly face. "You have many space left for improvement," he remarked. "And one thing you must improve on is to use your chances well."

"This is not any chance that I need!" snarled Rainpaw curtly. "We're not even related. Why are you continuously haunting me?" The tabby tom smirked, "I can haunt whoever I wish to, Rainpaw." Heatedly, the gray-blue apprentice roared, "Leave me alone!" As she stalked away, Tigerstar growled, "Don't worry, Rainpaw… I will come again." Just when Rainpaw was about to shoot back a retort, a starry figure appeared. The cat was the former RiverClan leader, Leopardstar. Tales had been told about the spotted golden tabby, and she snarled, "Tigerstar, leave this RiverClan apprentice alone!"

Puzzled, Rainpaw gazed up at Leopardstar, her eyes sparkling admiringly at the fierce leader. Tigerstar blinked, and then scoffed, "You have no control over me, Leopardstar." Then, his shady shape faded away, into the darkness. After Tigerstar dissolved into the darkness, the former leader's amber eyes balanced on Rainpaw. "Come with me, and don't come here again."

"I never _wanted _to come, anyways!" cried Rainpaw. "Is there any way I can escape from these horrendous dreams?" Grimly, Leopardstar mewed, "Sadly, Tigerstar is right. I have no control over him, nor the Dark Forest. All I can do right now is get you out of here. Follow." Compliantly, Rainpaw followed the leader's pawsteps. A mass of starlight was glimmering at the edge of the murk. Slowly, Leopardstar led Rainpaw into it, letting the dimness suspend in the stars.


	6. Chapter 4

**~~Great StarClan! I loved Chapter 4, since I could put Rainpaw and Swiftpaw together. It's fun to write altogether. :) Review review please. I'd love to hear any comments on what I can improve on! :D Keep reading!!**

**Chapter 4**

It had been three nights in a row that Swiftpaw had suffered from obnoxious, tormenting dreams. She woke up late each day, and had a hard time keeping up with her training. Swiftpaw could not keep her eyes open, and she was torn from sleep. What was happening to her? After the first dream came two more dreams, in a shady forest. Tigerstar visited her, requesting her to be his ally. Fiercely, Swiftpaw had refused utterly, saying that she was loyal to her Clan, not a dead, evil cat. Darkpool had been exceptionally cross with Swiftpaw these days, and the ginger apprentice merely hated Tigerstar for annoying her. Why had he chosen _her_, not a Clanborn cat, to haunt?

Aggressively, she had been ignoring Starlingpaw, who frequently attempted to talk to her. She'd vowed to StarClan to never talk to Starlingpaw until he apologizes for his misunderstanding. Although Swiftpaw knew she was just being stubborn, her frustration was as much as her guilt and she could not stand it. The morning air was warm and fresh. Crunching on a fat squirrel, Swiftpaw pounced towards Darkpool and asked, "Can I go out hunting by myself today?" Sighing, Darkpool fretted, "You're falling behind in your training, Swiftpaw."

"I've been having bad dreams, that's all," Swiftpaw insisted kindly. "I'll try harder each day. I promise." Reluctantly, the mentor nodded gently, and Swiftpaw raced off. She wanted to explore near the Twoleg nest! Frogpaw told her it was the scariest place ever, and he said there were two frightening, strong kittypets that could fight like real warriors. Swiftpaw didn't believe him at all, so she wanted to see for herself. Of course, she was just going to take a sneak peek at them, then really go hunting, as she promised Darkpool. After all, the mottled gray she-cat had always worked hard for Swiftpaw, so she should work hard for her, too.

The Twoleg nest had a bright scarlet roof, and its pelt was yellow, with a white shape that was the entrance and exit to the nest. Quickly, Swiftpaw allowed her amber eyes to scan the nest. No sign of kittypets. Suddenly, an overwhelming scent wrapped Swiftpaw's nose violently, and a snarling voice taunted, "Looking for us?" Shooting around, she identified a black-and-white tom and a pale gray tabby she-cat. The tom unsheathed his claws and the tabby growled, "Why don't we teach this little scrap of food a lesson, Jacques?"

Baring his teeth, Jacques meowed, "Yes, it is of my pleasure, Susan." The siblings advanced towards Swiftpaw, frightening her as much as ever. They _were _like warriors… but too aggressive… and had no honor of the warrior code! Suddenly, Susan sniffed twice, and with a concerned look on her yellow eyes, she mewled, "Jacques! She's a Clan cat! They told us we'd be killed if we harm one again…" Her voice trailed off and Jacques grumbled, "This cat's so tiny, they won't even notice if we kill her." He pounced for Swiftpaw, but Swiftpaw had already stumbled off fleetly, her eyes widening wildly. Though she was much faster, Jacques and Susan stuck right behind her, following her tail. She raced through the pine trees and the small Thunderpath madly.

Suddenly a gray shape bounded out of a fern bush, towards the two kittypets and slashed them with its claws. The RiverClan apprentice! What's _she _doing here? "What are you doing on ShadowClan territory?" growled Swiftpaw. Annoyed, the apprentice retorted, "Why are you being chased by two _kittypets_?" Then Swiftpaw raced off, the apprentice following her quickly. They hid behind a bramble bush, and Swiftpaw demanded quietly, "Why did you come?"

"To save someone helpless," scoffed the apprentice. "My name is Rainpaw." Swiftpaw thought she saw an arrogant gleam in Rainpaw's bright blue eyes. Shyly, Swiftpaw added, "How did you know I was attacked?" Wrinkling her nose, Rainpaw meowed, "That ShadowClan stink of yours, any mouse can smell you a hundred fox-lengths away." Quickly she added, "Just kidding. Well, I had a very strange dream. Of course, it's not like it's strange anymore, after all the nightmares I had. Anyways, Leopardstar told me if I don't go to the Greenleaf Twolegplace by dawn, I'd lose a cat important to me. Although I have no idea why it's _you,_ of course… well, so I went there at dawn and saw two kittypets chasing you, and I came to help you." Her throat stuck with injured pride, Swiftpaw dropped her head and tail solemnly. "Although you crossed the border… I must thank you." Smiling smugly, Rainpaw replied, "Okay. Thanks accepted. And apology…?" Groaning, Swiftpaw remembered the time she had said Rainpaw and Mistystar were fishy, and when she had lost to Rainpaw.

Fighting back her conceit, Swiftpaw meowed defiantly, "Er, sorry." Just when Rainpaw was about to purr something, two cats tore at the bramble bush. Jacques had a swollen eye, and Susan's pelt was slightly scarlet. _Wow,_ thought Swiftpaw. _Rainpaw gave them quite a scratch! _She was about to start being satisfied when Susan swiped at her flank. Fleetly Rainpaw bit Swiftpaw's scruff and threw her out of the way. Gratefully, Swiftpaw blinked at Rainpaw; she had just saved her from a nasty scratch. Rainpaw yowled, "You can run fast, right?" Swiftpaw dipped her head rapidly.

"Then run back to your territory and let your warriors handle them!" After Rainpaw yowled that, Swiftpaw broke off running. She saw Rainpaw race away, and then focused on her own hind legs. Each pawstep, she laid her hind legs perfectly in place, and her front paws sprang skillfully forward. With her speed still building; she knew she could make it back to the camp in time. Finally she saw vast pine trees, and hastily she burst into the camp. Rowanclaw was first to see Jacques and Susan pursuing Swiftpaw. The ginger tom's eyes flared with anger and he saw the two kittypets trespass their territory. _There's something behind this…_ thought Swiftpaw. _The anger in Rowanclaw's eyes… The fear glittering in Jacques and Susan…_ Without waiting, Swiftpaw turned around and saw Rowanclaw claw their throats. With the attack came a ferocious yowl from Jacques, and Blackstar raced toward them.

Furiously, he demanded, "Aren't you those two kittypets?" He placed a claw on Jacques' throat. Then he faced Rowanclaw, "Didn't you say you already made them promise to never harm a Clan cat again?" The ginger warrior shot back, "Yes, we did, but apparently, they didn't listen. Swiftpaw, why were those two mange-pelts chasing you?" Desperately, Swiftpaw explained, "I was going to hunt until they attacked me." It was part true, but Swiftpaw decided to not include the parts about Rainpaw, or her own curiosity.

All of a sudden, nearly all of ShadowClan gathered around Jacques and Susan, who sat prisoner with Rowanclaw and Oakfur on their sides. "L-Let us go!" cried Susan shakily. The ShadowClan cats refused, and Swiftpaw knew they were at the brink of death. Loudly Oakfur called out, "May I have the pleasure to kill the gray tabby?"

"I want to kill the black-and-white one!" called out Toadfoot boldly. Tigerheart rose up quickly, and meowed, "It's for Blackstar to decide!" Then, Blackstar dipped his head. "Oakfur, what did you tell them last time?" Fiercely, Oakfur replied, "We told them if they harm any Clan cat again, they would be killed." Blinking, Blackstar mewed, "Then they shall be killed. But for now they will be held prisoners. ShadowClan will not provide any fresh-kill for them, though!" Cats cheered as Jacques and Susan was led down into a depression. Smugly, Swiftpaw watched them go. Then, she thought about what Rainpaw had told her. _Leopardstar told me that if I didn't go to the Greenleaf Twolegplace by dawn, I would lose someone important._

Why would she be important to Rainpaw?

"I'm sorry, Swiftpaw," wailed Starlingpaw. "I didn't know how it would feel to you— I finally realized how important everything is to you." Important… that word renewed Swiftpaw's memory. Sniggering, Swiftpaw replied coolly, "I'm glad you finally know." But inside her heart, it was like a warm fire of hope was blazing inside her. She hated life without Starlingpaw; she hated being mean to him. Gazing up at the sapphire-blue sky, she thought more about Rainpaw, and what she said. What _was _important to Swiftpaw, then? And is Rainpaw part of it? Those questions, she concluded, she couldn't answer.


	7. Chapter 5

**~~Woww. It's getting into real action now. Again, I hope you'll all rate and review this chapter! ~~Oo-Rainpath-oO~~ :D **

**Chapter 5**

"Snowpaw! Snowpaw! Snowpaw!" chanted the Clan loudly as a small white tabby padded towards her new mentor, Pouncetail. With excitement, Rainpaw congratulated her friend cheerfully. She chanted the white apprentice's name the loudest. Snowpaw had been Rainpaw's good friend ever since they were kits. When Mistystar first brought Rainkit into the Clan, Snowkit had introduced the camp and all the apprentices and kits to her. They were best friends ever since. Pouncetail and Snowpaw touched muzzles and their pelts brushed lightly. Rainpaw could still remember swishing her fur along with Mistystar's. Her great friend deserved a supportive mentor, and Rainpaw was positive Pouncetail was up for the task. All of the Clan cheered for the newly named apprentice.

Slowly Rainpaw led the frosty apprentice into the apprentice's den. Dewpaw, Deerpaw, Frostpaw, and Goldenpaw greeted the white tabby joyfully. RiverClan was full of strong and industrious apprentices. Dewpaw's eyes glimmered shyly at Rainpaw, and Rainpaw meowed, "Dewpaw, can you come help Snowpaw and I clean out the elder's den?" Nodding earnestly, Dewpaw mewed, "Sure." Bashfully Snowpaw lowered her gaze at the gray tom and exclaimed, "Oh, thank you!" The three advanced toward the elder's den.

"Great StarClan!" Rainpaw yelped. "The elders made their dens so filthy! Are they doing this on purpose or what?" Her azure eyes glinting playfully, Rainpaw started to change the moss. Quickly Dewpaw suggested, "Why don't we fetch some pebbles and shiny stones to decorate the dens?" Snowpaw dipped her head and mewed, "I found really pretty pebbles inside the stream when I was a kit!" So Rainpaw padded after Snowpaw to search for pebbles, while Dewpaw scanned the ground for colored glass. Leaping into the twinkling stream, Snowpaw squealed, thrilled, "Wait, let me get something first! You look for pebbles, Rainpaw!" Without waiting for a reply, the tabby apprentice went to fetch something. Confused, Rainpaw shrugged and started to look for stones. She found clear ones that were glimmering along with the water. She even found some colored ones apparently left by Twolegs. Roughly she scrubbed off the scent on big, bumpy boulders, and gathered them in a small pile at the shore. Finally, Snowpaw came, a mass of pale olive green in her jaws.

Delightfully, the white she-cat boasted, "I made this pretty basket of tangled ferns, moss, and sticks when I was bored. Then I put it in the nursery, under my bed of moss and worked on it each day." Dazed, Rainpaw complimented, "They're really neat! That's beautiful. We should share this idea to Mistystar; she'd _love _it!" She noticed that the basket was already piled with a few glinting colored glass; Snowpaw must have went to Dewpaw first. Rainpaw placed the pebbles carefully in the basket, and a gray tom came padding towards them.

"That's a lot of pebbles and glass!" Dewpaw commented brightly. Ecstatically, Rainpaw grinned. "The elders got to thank us!" They carried the heavy basket to the elder's den, and placed pebbles and glass all around the roofs and ground. When Swallowtail returned with fresh-kill clamped in her jaws, she dropped her trout and meowed, "Good job." Rolling his eyes, Dewpaw mewed, "That's all?" Snickering, Swallowtail replied, "Okay, okay. Thank you!" Rainpaw was grinning widely until she heard a loud, piercing squeal.

"Ow!" wailed a tortoiseshell-and-white kit. A gray tabby queen padded towards the kit angrily and exclaimed, "Hummingkit! This is the most mouse-brained thing a kit can ever do! Didn't I tell you to stay in the nursery?" Her continuous scolding trailed off as the small kit whimpered, "Graymist, it _hurts_!" The medicine cat, Willowshine hurried toward Hummingkit, carrying some herbs in her jaws. When Rainpaw was a kit, she had admired the way Mothwing and Willowshine always knew what to do. Rainpaw and Snowpaw crept close to Hummingkit, and realized that she had poked her pad on one of the colored glass's sharp edge. _Oops_, thought Rainpaw. _That's one thing we need to fix about colored glass._ She had thought colored glass were pretty and perfect. _Finally _she found a flaw in it. _No wonder the elders call it a piece of Twoleg junk sometimes. _

Worriedly Willowshine instructed Rainpaw and Snowpaw. "Rainpaw, fetch some dock leaves in the herb storage. Snowpaw, fetch some cobwebs." Dewpaw glanced uncomfortably at his mother, Graymist. She pressed her pelt against his, and they concentrated their gazes on the small kit. Rainpaw and Snowpaw burst into the medicine cat's den. The white apprentice collected several batches of cobwebs while Rainpaw grabbed some fleshy leaves of dock. The hairy touch of the leaves was bitter inside her jaws as she placed them in front of their tabby medicine cat. Silently, she watched the medicine cat press a cobweb against Hummingkit's now-scarlet pad. Hummingkit was weeping loudly, crying for Graymist. The tabby queen glanced at Willowshine, a reliable glimmer in her eyes. _Oh, great StarClan, _Rainpaw rolled her eyes. _Would a kit die of poking her pad on a piece of Twoleg junk? _She couldn't imagine at all. It was mouse-brained.

Finally, after the medicine cat treated Hummingkit's pad with dock leaves, the small kit was calmed down by the poppy seeds Willowshine had prepared. Mothwing was still collecting yarrow outside the camp, and the medicine cat apprentice had to handle the kit herself. Rainpaw wondered what it was like to be an expert at herbs and having a strong connection with StarClan. _Probably boring, _she replied to herself. _I wouldn't want to smell like herbs and get stuck in the den all day! How can I live without proper training, hunting, and swimming time?_ She shuddered at the boredom engaged powerfully to the thought. Soon, Rainpaw and her fellow apprentices watched Hummingkit trail to sleep. By then, the sun had set and it was very dark.

An overwhelming, bitter scent wandered into the camp. Mothwing had returned, with a mouthful of yarrow in her jaws. She was horrified when she saw Hummingkit lying inside the nursery. All the apprentices had left, but Rainpaw and her best friend stayed behind, as they wanted to observe medicine cat duty more. They hid behind a bush of bracken, ears twitching as Willowshine opened her mouth to speak. "Where have you been?" Mothwing's amber eyes narrowed and she replied, "I went to the Moonpool to speak with our ancestors." Amusement flickered in Willowshine's blue eyes. "StarClan can finally talk to you?" The golden tabby medicine cat dipped her head.

"But you didn't believe in StarClan, did you? Mudfur told me himself that StarClan cannot reach you at all," meowed Willowshine briskly. Her mews were quick and hasty, but no shock was contained in her voice. _Mothwing didn't believe in StarClan?_ Rainpaw thought, bewildered. _But I thought all medicine cats must!_ How could Mothwing not believe about her ancestors?

Nodding quietly, the golden tabby she-cat answered, "Yes, but a few days ago, it was raining. I saw a bright star shining in the sky when it was so dark. Usually I'd think this was just a small miracle or something, but I had a strange feeling. Then, Mudfur came to visit me. He said he could finally reach me, and that he had a message to tell me, and told me to go to the Moonpool during the next sunhigh. Now I sort of believe in StarClan… and after my visit to Moonpool, I saw our starry ancestors. It was so real, so I decided to believe in StarClan."

"Of course StarClan is real!" snapped Willowshine playfully at her mentor. "Thank StarClan you finally believe in them." The beautiful golden she-cat grinned. "Yeah, thank StarClan for that." Beside Rainpaw, Snowpaw muttered continuously, "How can Mothwing not have believed in StarClan? That is ridiculous! Of course StarClan exists, they…" Rainpaw ignored her friend's murmurs and stared at the two she-cats. _What did they know that others do not?_ she wondered abruptly. _Why are there so many secrets in the Clan?_ If only every cat revealed their darkest secrets to each other— would that make RiverClan better?

Suddenly Mothwing crept down near Willowshine's ears. Her whisper was barely heard by Rainpaw: "And today… I went to the Moonpool. Leopardstar told me… _The stream and the moon will collide for flaw, and fate is for storm and speed to unfold._ What do you suppose that means?" Awed, she thought, _Mothwing received a prophecy!_ But what could it mean? The stream and the moon will collide for flaw? And… fate is for storm and speed to decide? It was totally weird! Willowshine's blue eyes blazed anxiously. "We must tell Mistystar."

"Yes," Mothwing mewed nervously. "She must be informed of this." They leaped out of their dens promptly. Amazed, Rainpaw and her friend sat behind the bracken bush with their jaws dropping. _Okay, I change my mind about my opinion towards medicine cat duties. It must be _so _cool, receiving prophecies from StarClan!_ She and Snowpaw then exited the bush and raced into the apprentice's den. When they entered the large, mossy den, a dark gray tabby apprentice hissed at them, "Where have you _been_? I've been looking for you two so long! Creampelt says that Mistystar, he, Pouncetail, you two, and I can go on the dusk hunting patrol together." At once the two apprentices obeyed, and followed Dewpaw towards the stream.

When Mothwing rushed towards Mistystar to "tell her something" the two were not surprised. As Mistystar headed toward the apprentices and their mentors, Mothwing and Willowshine shot her a look that said, _Don't tell any cat about this just yet._ Abruptly, Rainpaw and Snowpaw nodded as if they were the ones who were meant to receive the message and the prophecy. Rainpaw thought about it carefully, and mewed in her head, _I can't wait to tell! Just yet!_

**~~Hi everybody! Did you like the prophecy? A bit long, but it hard to put everything short. Please give me more suggestions for the prophecy (of course I won't tell you what it means, but if you're willing to help, make sure the meaning of the prophecy stays!) Try figure out what it means!! ~~**


	8. Chapter 6

**~~Rate and Review PLEASE :D~~**

**Chapter 6**

Grief flooded Swiftpaw as she stared blankly down at the former ShadowClan leader's limp body. Neat bite marks rowed his throat. A pool of blood was spreading beneath the white tom with jet-black paws. Flamepelt padded beside Swiftpaw, his green eyes glowing with sorrow. "I'm sorry you had to witness it all…" Stubbornly, Swiftpaw protested, "It's nothing! I'm perfectly fine now that Jacques and Susan have gotten what they have deserved for everything they did!" But she knew she was not fine, and she never will be. Slowly, Russetfur scrambled towards Swiftpaw and gave her a lick. "I am going to announce the new deputy. Come and gather beneath the Highbranch quickly." She padded off, leaving Swiftpaw alone with the medicine cat.

"I can't believe they did that to Blackstar!" wailed Swiftpaw suddenly. "I hate how they are so selfish, stupid, and mouse-brained!" Flamepelt placed a tail on Swiftpaw's back comfortingly. "Let's go," was all he could say as the two cats exited the medicine cat's den. It was true, and she, Swiftpaw had seen it all with her amber eyes. That night was the darkest night ever. The rattling of rain and dampness of it concealed Jacques' and Susan's scent as they sneaked out of the fox hole they were imprisoned in. They snuck into Blackstar's den and killed him. During that week, Blackstar had already caught greencough and was as weak as ever! His remaining three lives were no use, for he had lost two from disease and the two rotten mange-ridden, flea-bitten-pelts had planned it for so long. Swiftpaw was just about to fetch some wet moss behind Blackstar's den (it was where Flamepelt collected many moss for moons), and then she saw it, the shadows, and everything.

The horrific memory she had to recall… she couldn't stand it! _Those two crow-food eaters!_ Right after Swiftpaw saw the sight, the sight, she scampered so quickly, she felt like she was flying, out towards the warrior's den, and yowled, "Jacques and Susan killed Blackstar!" Shock was all over her voice, her eyes were so wide, Swiftpaw thought she could see the whole lake, and she was so frightened; frightened to death. She was too busy recalling those sinister memories that she realized she had missed most of Russetfur's words.

"The new deputy of ShadowClan will be Tawnypelt," mewed Russetfur gravely. Tawnypelt's green eyes widened massively. Then she dipped her head, and Russetfur touched noses with her. "You have proven your worthy so many times, Tawnypelt. You always know what was right, like the time when Sol persuaded us to not believe in StarClan. You never lost your faith in StarClan, Tawnypelt… and I believe you will never lose your faith to ShadowClan, too. You are going to be a great deputy." Blinking gratefully, Tawnypelt replied, "Thank you, Russetfur. No, Russet_star_." Swiftpaw had admired Tawnypelt's great sense all the time, and now that she was deputy, she'd probably admire her even more. Tigerheart, Dawnpool, and Flamepelt cheered loudly as the Clan chanted her name; for Tawnypelt was their mother. _How can they all still stay cheerful after Blackstar died?_ Swiftpaw cried silently. _What is still worth being happy about, after all this horror?_

As if reading her mind, Flamepelt explained, "Although something grieving has happened, ShadowClan will stay strong. That is our way. We still grieve for our brave leader, but we must still celebrate our new leader and deputy and stay together as a Clan. You must learn to do that, too. Would you like some poppy seeds later?" Swiftpaw refused his offer reluctantly, though she knew it really would have helped her a lot. Dipping his head, the ginger tom meowed, "I got to return to the medicine cat's den now. Littlecloud and I are going to accompany Russetfur to the Moonpool! It's so exciting! But I need to prepare traveling herbs…" his voice echoed inside Swiftpaw's head as he left, heading towards the medicine cat's den.

Glumly Swiftpaw dragged her tail all the way back to the apprentice's den, her head down. _It's my entire fault that Blackstar died! If I wasn't curious about Jacques and Susan, they wouldn't have been kept in the camp, or kill Blackstar!_ How could she endure anymore? She knew it was her fault that everything had happened! How could she continue to live on like nothing had happened? _I'm _guilty_! _Frustrated, she yowled inside her head. It was like her brain was about to explode! Suddenly she felt warm fur press against her. It was Starlingpaw, his green eyes glittering kindly at her. "I can't imagine how much you must be enduring," he meowed sympathetically. "But all I can say is that I'll always be on your side." Swiftpaw almost purred. _Almost._ Just almost…

Their pelts brushed as they entered the apprentice's den. Even Frogpaw was sympathetic towards Swiftpaw now as he offered a small frog he had caught. Gladly Swiftpaw accepted it; but although the frog was suppose to taste delicious, it was bitter and sour inside her mouth. Why didn't _she _die in Blackstar's place? _I wish I had died instead,_ she wailed, frustrated. She wanted to yowl the words out loud instead of hiding her thoughts in her head. Hatred clung onto her belly. How much she hated those two kittypets! They had merely destroyed ShadowClan— yet when Russetfur offered her the chance to kill one of them, Swiftpaw refused. She wouldn't bear the taste of blood in her jaws or the scarlet liquid that would stick onto her paws. So at the end Russetfur and Shadeclaw killed the two mange-ridden-pelts. Russetfur had decided to keep her paws clean, and dragged Susan into a stream, drowning the cat. Shadeclaw licked his paws smugly after he rippled Jacques's life away. Swiftpaw shuddered at the thought of the ambitious gray tom. He seemed to _enjoy _killing the black-and-white kittypet.

As her thought dissolved, she asked Starlingpaw, "Have you noticed the way Shadeclaw licked his claws happily after Jacques's blood was spilled?" Starlingpaw looked upset at first, and then replied quickly, "I know, it's so gross. I think he enjoys murdering cats!" Earnestly she mewed, "If only we knew what he was thinking." They shot curious and hostile glances at the broad-shouldered tomcat. Then they entered the shadows to hunt with their mentors. _I hope refilling the fresh-kill pile will distract me for a while._ And really, she hoped so.

Sniffing twice Darkpool told her apprentice, "I smell a mouse nearby. It's your catch now. Use your senses to determine where prey is." Without replying, Swiftpaw closed her eyes and crept low on the forest floor. She could hear soft rustling and the small movement of tiny paws with her paws pressed on the undergrowth. The mouse was under some dry leaves, Swiftpaw predicted. She estimated the length. _About three fox-lengths away_. Suddenly an overpowering fear-scent spread from where the mouse was. _It scented me,_ she growled noiselessly. _I took too much time!_ Pouncing towards the mouse rapidly, she landed in front of it and gave it the death blow. Smugness soon overpowered her gaze as the fear-scent had done to her nose.

Gently, Darkpool nudged Swiftpaw's back with her tail, and they returned to the camp with Starlingpaw and Dawnpool. Dawnpool meowed, "Starlingpaw caught some very fat sparrows. How about you, Swiftpaw?" Trying to hide her smugness, Swiftpaw half-crowed, "I caught two squirrels and one mouse." Dipping her head, the cream-furred she-cat commented, "That is very good." Then she started chatting away with Darkpool, talking urgently as they shot solemn looks at the apprentices.

Shyly, Starlingpaw whispered, "I think they're thinking about making us warriors!" Swiftpaw cocked her head. "Maybe." As they entered the dark pine-dappled clearing, her mentor told the two apprentices, "There are two pieces of news to share. A few days ago we asked Blackstar for all the apprentices' permission to go to the next Gathering. He had said yes. So Russetstar will bring you two and Frogpaw to the Gathering!" Though excited, Swiftpaw could not help but let the mention of Blackstar haunt her veins.

"The second news," Dawnpool continued Darkpool's words, "is that there will be three new apprentices joining in your den. Sparrowkit, Thrushkit, and Swampkit are six moons old now. You two must be good role models for them." Smiling, Swiftpaw and her best friend bowed their heads at the same time.

Starlingpaw led Swiftpaw into the nursery; they were going to visit the future apprentices. Sparrowkit was batting the air with his paws, yowling, "ThunderClan intruders! Warriors, attack!" Thrushkit pounced and whipped around, swiping her tail at nothing. She yelled, "Retreat, Swampstar! We can't fight them! They are too strong!" The made-believe leader Swampkit leaped and snarled, "No! ThunderClan must be fought off! Thrushwing, Sparrowflight, charge!" The three kits sped toward Swiftpaw and Starlingpaw playfully, crashing onto them violently.

"Yes! We defeated Firestar and his Clan!" boasted Sparrowkit as Starlingpaw let out loud purrs. "You three are going to be feisty apprentices," Swiftpaw purred. Delightfully Thrushkit mewled, "We're going to be apprentices?" Right after the two apprentices' nods, Sparrowkit and Thrushkit bounced up energetically. Swampkit wailed, "What? We're going back to apprentices? I'm Swampstar the leader, and Thrushwing is the deputy! Sparrowflight is our strongest warrior—"

"Or you're just daydreaming," chuckled Swiftpaw. "Come on. I think the ceremony will start soon, after Russetstar returns." The five departed the nursery.

_I hope they get good mentors, _thought Swiftpaw. _Will Russetstar be a good leader?_

**~~Sorry if you like Blackstar. But I just think that I have to make something big happen. So...... yeah.. R&R!!~~**


	9. Chapter 7

**~~Read and Review Please. :( Sadly I've only gotten one review so far. I really wish I'd get more comments-- and readers, too. So can you pretty please with a cherry on top read my fanfic?? I'd be soooo happy. PLEASE!~~**

**Chapter 7**

"Come on, Goldenpaw!" yowled Rainpaw joyfully; Mistystar had chosen her, Goldenpaw, Dewpaw, and Deerpaw to go to this Gathering. _I wonder if Swiftpaw would be there,_ Rainpaw thought inquisitively. She shook her head. _There's no point caring about that._ A dappled golden brown tabby apprentice stopped behind Rainpaw, panting. "Don't run so fast, Rainpaw," pleaded Goldenpaw. Two toms were close behind, snickering. Although Rainpaw felt bad for Frostpaw and Snowpaw, she wasn't going to waste her Gathering feeling sympathetic for cats who aren't where she was!

The log bridge came into sight. It was a rotted long brown log, with moss and some fallen leaves spread all over it. Soft wood was underneath her paws as she crossed the bridge quickly. Scents flowed around her; ThunderClan and WindClan have already arrived. RiverClan padded beside ThunderClan and settled. _Why isn't ShadowClan here yet? There's only ThunderClan and WindClan— WindClan!_ She suddenly remembered her dream, when the silver tabby visited her. She was a WindClan cat for sure— and she must be here! Poking her head out of the crowd, she gazed observantly at the WindClan cats. They were mostly ugly cats— could that pretty silver tabby really be a part of them?

Her eyes cornered on one cat. That WindClan cat was a beautiful silvery tabby she-cat with blue eyes. It must be her! _I have to find a chance to talk to her,_ thought Rainpaw. _I need to know who she is!_ Suddenly, a stench zigzagged into the clearing. _ShadowClan is finally here!_ Russetfur marched ShadowClan into the Gathering. Onestar called out, "Russetfur, is Blackstar ill? Why isn't he with your Clan?" Grimacing, Russetfur growled, "I am not Russetfur. I am Russetstar."

Shock rippled through the ranks of the Clans. Russetstar gazed at the other Clans solemnly with her amber gaze. _Blackstar is dead?_ Rainpaw was crazed. How could that happen? She shot an uncertain glance at Swiftpaw, who silently looked away. Firestar meowed, "I see. Congratulations on your new leadership. All of ThunderClan grieves for Blackstar." Rainpaw could easily guess what Swiftpaw was thinking. _As if we need your grief! Don't dig into ShadowClan business, softhearted mouse-brain!_ She nearly sighed; Swiftpaw was still disrespectful towards the other Clans. Mistystar stepped forward and announced, "Let us hesitate no more. Tonight's Gathering will start."

As soon as Mistystar announced that, all the cats spread out to sit with other Clans. Swiftpaw pounced beside Rainpaw and the two traveled through the Clans to find WindClan. Rainpaw had already told Swiftpaw about the silver tabby, and Swiftpaw was eager to help. They passed ThunderClan first, ignoring the gazes of curious ThunderClan cats. A white warrior burned their pelts with her green gaze, staring at them with a strange emotion Rainpaw could just feel. Finally they reached WindClan, and they searched for the tabby. The Gathering was all messed up, with cats crawling everywhere. Avoiding other cats, they finally spotted the silvery she-cat.

"Hello, I'm Moonstream," the beautiful silver tabby she-cat called out. "Would you two young apprentices like to sit with me?" Nervously, they sat down beside her. So that silver tabby was Moonstream. _What was she doing in my dreams?_ Rainpaw was eager to ask that question, but Moonstream probably had no idea.

Stupidly, she asked, "Um, do you have any— well, like, _powers_— to enter other cats' dreams or what?" Moonstream looked dumbfounded by the mouse-brained question. _Mouse dung!_ Rainpaw thought with annoyance. _I've just embarrassed myself!_ Swiftpaw was suppressing a laugh. Irritated, Rainpaw lashed her tail at her. Kindly Moonstream meowed, "Well, I don't have powers to enter dreams, but I do get many weird dreams. Night is a torture to me." The two apprentices stared at the silver cat curiously. _So not just _we _have strange dreams!_

"Let tonight's Gathering start!" Rainpaw, Swiftpaw, and Moonstream turned their attention to the leaders. It was Russetstar who yowled that. _She is going to begin the Gathering,_ remarked Rainpaw. Loudly Russetstar meowed, "ShadowClan has grave and good news this moon. First off, Blackstar is dead. I am the new leader of ShadowClan. And—"

Boldly, Breezepelt called out, "And would you please be brave enough to share how Blackstar died?" Breezepelt's mate, Heathertail placed her tail smugly behind the mutinous black tom's back. A golden tabby ThunderClan warrior glowered at her. Giving Breezepelt a hostile glare, Russetstar mewed, "Although it is none of your business, I will say that he has died a brave warrior's way. Anyhow, our new Clan deputy is Tawnypelt." Most of the ShadowClan cats cheered. Rainpaw's ears were painful when Swiftpaw started screaming beside her.

Tawnypelt stared shyly at all the Clans. Some ThunderClan cats cheered too. Brambleclaw and Firestar congratulated Tawnypelt. Russetstar continued: "ShadowClan is well-fed and healthy. We have just recently gotten rid of the two annoying kittypets living in our territory. Earlier this moon, we had three new apprentices: Frogpaw, Swiftpaw, and Starlingpaw. Now, another set of three apprentices have just joined the apprentice's den. They are not here today, but their names are Sparrowpaw, Thrushpaw, and Swamppaw. That is all." Mistystar stepped forward next. _She-cat leaders,_ thought Rainpaw proudly. _The generation of she-cats begins!_ The RiverClan leader gazed at the crowd of cats.

"This moon, we have two new apprentices: Rainpaw and Snowpaw. Two of our kits are also ready to become apprentices. It is very good for RiverClan. Pouncetail is now a mentor, too. This moon is RiverClan's moon," meowed Mistystar confidently. Rainpaw was happy to be mentioned. "So far the stream is in great condition. It has not yet freeze. However, as leaf-bare is arriving sooner or later, we will be cautious." Next came Onestar's news. The WindClan leader glared at the other leaders.

"WindClan is in good condition! Tailpaw and Branchpaw have just entered the apprentice's den. They have begun their training and are doing fairly well. Featherflight just had a new litter of Harespring's kits: Earthkit, Palekit, and Minikit. Rabbits are everywhere and WindClan will survive," Onestar mewed curtly. He gave Firestar a glance that read _it is ThunderClan's turn to share news now._

Firestar stared at the brown tabby tom for a heartbeat, and then turned towards the cats. "ThunderClan has new apprentices as well. Three, in fact: Duskpaw, Lilypaw, and Skypaw. Glacestorm's kits are born as well. Their names are Amberkit, Badgerkit, Blazekit, and Jadekit. It is a good moon for all of the Clans. This Gathering will end." Swiftpaw and Rainpaw gazed at Moonstream inquiringly.

"Moonstream, can we meet at the next Gathering again? We have something to ask you," inquired Rainpaw. The silver tabby she-cat nodded gently, and the three returned to their own Clans. As Rainpaw met up with Dewpaw, she thought, _Fox dung! I missed my chance. I _need _to know why she appeared in my dreams!_ Dreams… Rainpaw recalled each of her odd dreams. Moonstream… _the stream on the moon!_ Everything matched together! Mothwing's shrill voice suddenly rang inside her head. _The stream and the moon will collide for flaw, and fate is for the storm and the speed to decide._ What would happen to Moonstream? And would Rainpaw have anything to do with it?

"Rainpaw, are you okay?" a naive voice sounded outside Rainpaw's mind. Dewpaw gazed worriedly at her, and Rainpaw snapped into consciousness. "Oh! I'm okay. I was just thinking about something." Comfortingly, Dewpaw meowed, "What were you thinking about? You can tell me, you know, if it's concerning you." Rainpaw shook her head, remembering the look Mothwing had given Mistystar. "Oh no, it's okay. Thanks." She stared at the gray tom, who returned an affectionate glance.

_I must keep this prophecy a secret, _thought Rainpaw.

_ How impressed will Mistystar be when you tell her you've discovered part of the prophecy's meaning, do you think?_ Another voice inside Rainpaw asked slyly.

_Very impressed… but for now I will keep figuring out the other pieces of the puzzle. _

_ Very well. Someday, you will reveal the truth of the prophecy to all of RiverClan._

Rainpaw decided to chat no more with herself; it was foolish and mouse-brained. As she looked up in the sky, she thought more about the prophecy. She will figure out the meaning, and she'd do anything to know.

**~~More crabby stuff about the prophecy... but I TRIED. Thanks for reading if you are reading this.~~**


	10. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Skypaw observed the ThunderClan medicine cat as she treated her scratches. Leafpool gently applied the chewed-up dock leaf onto her wound. She had scratched her pad when she poked her paw on a thorn. It was a mere accident, but she didn't feel good about it. Her mentor, Glacestorm finally had her kits, but she had to stay in the nursery for another while. Whitewing was going to be Skypaw's temporary mentor for a very long time. _I like Whitewing, but…_ Skypaw shook her head. _She's always concerned about _something_! And in the Gathering she was so distracted._ What was happening in the mind of the white warrior, Skypaw had no idea. As Leafpool checked Skypaw's cream-and-white pelt in case there were more wounds, she meowed, "So how's your apprentice training going?"

"Not really well," Skypaw admitted truthfully. "Whitewing's always distracted about something. I have no idea." Leafpool's amber eyes glimmered mysteriously. "All cats have their own worries. Now, you don't go worrying about your temporary mentor. I'm sure she wouldn't want you to be concerned about her than your own training." Dipping her head, Skypaw asked hopefully, "When will Glacestorm be able to leave the nursery?" She longed for the beautiful white she-cat's company.

Smiling, Leafpool replied, "Very soon, I'm positive. Now, I've finished treating your pads. There are no other wounds, but you must be careful next time, okay?" Nodding eagerly, Skypaw exited the medicine cat's den. Thankfully it was Jayfeather who went out of the camp to fetch watermint. The grumpy gray tabby tom was never nice to her; he thought she was a big nuisance and Skypaw knew it. Sighing, she thought, _Will any cat ever like me?_ Attempting to be positive, she thought, _At least I have Duskpaw!_

"Duskpaw, Whitewing offered you and Lightningbrook to hunt with us!" declared Skypaw loudly as she entered the apprentice's den, searching for her brother. A dusky brown head poked out from under a bed of moss. "Sure." The brown tom's amber eyes met her blue ones as they scampered out of the apprentice's den. As they departed the den, Duskpaw meowed, "Lightningbrook is the bossiest mentor in the _world_." Rolling her eyes, Skypaw shot back, "That's because he tries his best to protect his Clan. You should do that, too."

Shrugging, her brother replied, "Aw, come on. Would you want me to be a boring furball?" Honestly, Skypaw shook her head. Grinning, Duskpaw mewed, "Then don't wish I were like Lightningbrook." The two met up with their mentors at the entrance of the den. Cheerfully Lightningbrook meowed, "Let us hunt near the Sky Oak!" _The Sky Oak!_ It was Skypaw's favorite landmark inside ThunderClan territory. When Glacestorm first showed her the elderly, massive oak, she was so enthralled by the huge tree. It was a great hunting ground, too— especially with all those tree-loving squirrels!

Whitewing and Skypaw skipped ahead of Duskpaw and Lightningbrook, and Skypaw began a discussion. "Whitewing, are you concerned about something? You always seem so… distracted." Her momentary mentor's green eyes glinted in surprise. "Why?" she exclaimed. "Why do you think so? I'm not distracted!" As she said that, her gaze skipped into another place, then returned quickly. "Oh… I think I get what you mean," Whitewing meowed at last. "Don't worry. That's because many places remind me of certain memories… those memories are of many cats I miss." Skypaw cocked her head, "Which cats?"

"Erm—Rain— Rainwhisker! Yeah. I miss Rainwhisker. He was a good cat! But that fallen tree struck by thunder killed him… poor Rainwhisker!" Whitewing continuously chattered. "And— um— Swift— Swiftpaw— yeah, I feel so bad for him! Brightheart told me all about him. He saved her life. Well, sort of. And Cloudtail saved her many times too. N-never mind." In a flash Skypaw knew Whitewing was just trying to make up something. Rain and Swift! _What could she be hiding?_ Soon, Duskpaw and his mentor caught up with them, and Lightningbrook teased, "Whitewing, I thought I heard you ten fox-lengths away, chattering loudly about things!"

Smirking, the white she-cat replied, "And I thought I could smell you ten fox-lengths away, with that crow-food stink of yours!" Quickly the bright orange tom changed the subject: "Let's go faster, now." The four cats raced toward the wide, vast oak. Lightningbrook stopped, and checked the scent. Skypaw glanced at the ginger tabby tom admiringly with her blue eyes. His yellow eyes were concentrated as he and Whitewing sniffed. "There are lots of squirrels and mice around today," he announced.

"There are also a few voles and shrews lurking around, watch out," Whitewing declared. "Let us begin the hunt." Duskpaw and Skypaw dropped into hunter's crouch and advanced towards their prey. Identifying a brown squirrel, Skypaw crept towards it with a swift speed. Pouncing, she landed and gave it a death blow, killing it ultimately. With the limp squirrel in her jaws, she padded to a clearing to bury her squirrel. Lightningbrook was already burying his second mouse. _Oh, what a good hunter he is!_ Skypaw thought suddenly. Brightly, the ginger tom meowed, "Nice squirrel, Skypaw!" That resulted Skypaw into flushing wildly.

The hunt continued, and at the end, she caught two squirrels, a mouse, and a sparrow. Her scratch hurt a bit, but she was fine. Proudly, she carried the prey back to ThunderClan camp. Her mother, Pineheart licked her proudly as Lakespring purred at her and Duskpaw. They caught so many fresh-kill for the Clan, and leaf-fall was coming. ThunderClan would have a great meal that night for sure. Although smug, Skypaw was still worried for her mentor. Though Whitewing was a skillful mentor, she still eagerly wanted Glacestorm to leave the nursery sooner or later. As she entered the medicine cat's den to visit Glacestorm and her kits and check her pad, she saw Gingerpatch, who had returned from the border patrol. First she went to Leafpool to have her check her scratch again. Unfortunately it was Jayfeather who remained in the camp while Leafpool collected herbs.

"Didn't Leafpool already treat your pad with dock?" demanded Jayfeather when she showed him her small wound. Defensive for Leafpool, Skypaw retorted, "She did, but it wore off after I went hunting." Sighing, Jayfeather mewed, "Don't you even know to never go hunting after your pad is hurt? I'll treat it again, but you have to rest in your den afterwards." Defiantly, she nodded and the gray tom set off to work. _Will I be able to visit Glacestorm and her kits later then?_

"Yes, you can visit them afterwards," Jayfeather suddenly mewed, as if he read her mind. Surprised, Skypaw dipped her head. Soon he was done healing her pad. When she was about to race towards the kits, the medicine cat called out, "Don't run!" _He read my mind again._ She narrowed her eyes. _That's annoying. How does he do that?_ Quickly, she _walked _toward Glacestorm and her four kits. Loudly, she called out, "Hello, Skypaw." Prodding Jadekit's pure white shoulders, Glacestorm made Jadekit mewl. "Look, she's saying hello to you, Skypaw." Smiling, Skypaw padded over to her kits. Amberkit nudged her shoulder, her enormous amber eyes glittering. Giving the white-and-ginger kit a warm lick, she identified a dark ginger kit with blazing blue eyes— Badgerkit. Badgerkit was wrestling with Blazekit— the pale ginger tom with amber eyes.

Glacestorm purred. "Badgerkit and Blazekit are wrestling!" Gingerpatch pressed his pelt close to her, and they watched the kits, their eyes gleaming lovingly. _I wonder if I'll ever be like that with someone,_ Skypaw thought curiously. _I hope so._ Slowly she padded out of the nursery after giving each kit a lick. Duskpaw and Lilypaw were chatting together. Envy pounded inside Skypaw. Lilypaw was very popular between kits, apprentices, and warriors. Though Skypaw was jealous of her, Lilypaw was her best friend.

In ThunderClan camp, she saw Whitewing and Birchfall sharing tongues; identically concerned looks printed on their faces. Was there more to Whitewing's secret? And is her secret something she and Birchfall had shared? Most of all, would Skypaw ever be able to figure out the white warrior's furtive?


	11. Chapter 9

**Hey guys. If you're reading this, I love you guys. Well, kind of, because you're reading my story? Anyways, sorry, this will be a shorter-than-usual chapter, but I wrote it halfheartedly. I didn't feel like writing it, but I knew I had to update someday. So I chose today. Read and Review!**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

A moon had passed since Blackstar's death. Russetstar had long ago received her leader name and nine lives from the Moonpool, and was now the respected leader of ShadowClan. Sparrowpaw, Thrushpaw, and Swamppaw were constantly annoying Swiftpaw, and she and Starlingpaw had became much closer. All the changes were happening faster and faster around Swiftpaw, and for the first time, she couldn't keep up. She wasn't sure if she liked the changes or not. Just as a cloud of thoughts swirled past her mind, a silvery gray body landed on her. "Ouch!" growled Swiftpaw, turning to see Thrushpaw's big green eyes eyeing her gleefully.

"Hey, Swiftpaw!" meowed Thrushpaw in greeting. "What are you thinking of?" Touching her nose with the gray apprentice, she taunted, "How annoying you are." Shocked, the gray she-cat wailed, "Oh, no! You don't like me?" Her eyes were watery, she looked like she was about to burst her head open. Grinning, Swiftpaw rasped her tongue over the new apprentice's ears. "Of course I like you, mouse-brain." Just then, a dirty black tom pounced onto her along with a black, white, and tortoiseshell tom. "How about us?" mewed Sparrowpaw playfully. "Do you like me and Swamppaw?"

Snarling lightheartedly, Swiftpaw replied, "No, I hate you two." The two toms returned her a mocked grin. They began to talk about the on-goings of the Clans, and the black Swamppaw declared with his green-blue eyes gleaming, "My mentor, Shadeclaw is a violent and bloody cat!" Pretending to snore, Swiftpaw growled, "Wow, that is _so _interesting." Sensing her sarcasm, Swamppaw retorted, "As if _you _know anything interesting."

"Oh, I do," yawned Swiftpaw. "I know that you're not interesting." Laughter broke out between Swamppaw's siblings, and he glared at them with his big blue eyes. Changing the topic, Sparrowpaw meowed, "Well, Toadfoot isn't a very good mentor either. He's not nice." Swiftpaw told them, "That's because you two are so naughty, so you need to get strict mentors." Defensively, Thrushpaw mewed, "Hey! Don't be so mean to my brothers. They are fun cats!" Rolling his eyes, Swamppaw growled, "Thanks a lot, Thrushpaw." The small silver she-cat blinked, surprised at her brother's tone.

Suddenly Swiftpaw heard Darkpool calling for her. She sighed and staggered upward, padding away from the three siblings. Darkpool led her to a border patrol consisting of her, Frogpaw, Starlingpaw, Dawnpool, Darkpool, and Tigerheart. They were going to patrol near the RiverClan border. The muddy ground was damp under her paws as the patrol treaded through the woods. They were near the Greenleaf Twolegplace, and a horrible memory flashed inside her head.

_Baring his teeth, Jacques meowed, "Yes, it is of my pleasure, Susan." The siblings advanced towards Swiftpaw, frightening her as much as ever. They were like warriors… but too aggressive… and had no honor of the warrior code!_ Swiftpaw's eyes widened; she could not bear the dreadful memory. Then another one stung her head. _That night was the darkest night ever. The rattling of rain and dampness of it concealed Jacques' and Susan's scent as they sneaked out of the fox hole they were imprisoned in. They snuck into Blackstar's den and killed him. During that quarter-moon, Blackstar had already caught greencough and was as weak as ever! His remaining three lives were no use, for he had lost two from disease and the two rotten mange-ridden, flea-bitten-pelts had planned it for so long. Swiftpaw was just about to fetch some wet moss behind Blackstar's den (it was where Flamepelt collected many moss for moons), and then she saw it, the shadows, and everything. _She felt like screaming, but instead forced herself to shut the memory tight and deep inside her head.

By then they reached the border, and Dawnpool began, "I hope we won't meet any RiverClan border patrols, they're not very assertive—" Suddenly, a growl came from the other side of the border, "And must I say that, too." Swiftpaw's fur bristled at the voice, and when she turned, she realized it was Voletooth who had spoken, and his newly named apprentice Hummingpaw held her chest high. The RiverClan patrol consisted of Voletooth, Hummingpaw, Dapplenose, her apprentice Tumblepaw, Mistystar, and Rainpaw. _Rainpaw,_ amusement flickered in Swiftpaw's amber eyes as Rainpaw gave her an uncertain glance.

Dapplenose grunted, "As if you ShadowClan cats are any more passive!" Mistystar flicked her tail, signaling silence. "Enough. Darkpool, your patrol may mark your scent markers first." Awkwardly, Swiftpaw watched her mottled gray mentor mark the borders. Later on, Dapplenose did the same, and both patrols departed. _What was _that_?_ Swiftpaw asked herself, slightly puzzled. On the way back to the camp, her paw pricked on a pine needle. A dot of scarlet emerged on her pad, and she decided to visit Flamepelt and Littlecloud when they returned.

"Wow, those fishy RiverClan are sure pesky," Tigerheart mewed, hilarity dancing in his amber gaze. When they entered the camp, Swiftpaw raced toward the medicine cat's den. Flamepelt was sleeping, and Littlecloud was out of sight. Quickly, Swiftpaw prodded Flamepelt's back with a paw, and the ginger tom's green eyes opened. It at first held a look of horror, but quickly returned into a casual glance. "Oh! Swiftpaw, what are you doing here?" Rolling her eyes, she announced, "I pricked my pad on a pine needle, and there's a dot of blood. Do I need to treat it?" Flamepelt observed her small wound, and meowed, "I will put a small piece of cobweb there to soak up the blood first. I'll use marigold then to prevent infection…" As the tom began to work, Swiftpaw inquired, "Why were you so… nervous when you woke up?"

Green eyes of anxiety met amber. Flamepelt sighed, and replied, "Well, Littlecloud was out collecting herbs, so I just thought about napping for a few heartbeats. But then I had a dream… a prophetic dream! Yellowfang and Raggedstar came to me… By the way, Yellowfang was a former ShadowClan medicine cat, and Raggedstar was a leader. Yellowfang croaked, _'The stream of the moon will collide, the falling stars will destroy and find flaw, the storm will clear the path of perfection, and the speed will collaborate with storm to save it all.'_ Then, Raggedstar stepped forward and meowed, 'RiverClan is of the same situation, and things you do not know of will arise. Prophecy they know is that _the stream and the moon will collide for flaw, and fate is for speed and storm to unfold._ You will learn the true meanings of them if your speed will collaborate with storm… you will know all you have to know.' It was so awkward… but I got to tell Russetstar! I've never received a prophecy before!"

Cocking her head, Swiftpaw congratulated her friend halfheartedly. _A prophecy… didn't Rainpaw mention that, too, in the Gathering? So, if speed is me and storm is her… we might save— something! That's exciting!_ Swiftpaw couldn't wait to boast to Rainpaw that she had already figured out part of the prophecy. What would those two be able to do? They were in different Clans, though… But it _had _to mean them! Or… could _speed _possibly be anyone else? _No! I want it to be me. Wait, it _has _to be me! And Rainpaw!_ Her eyes lightened up, and all of a sudden she was a hundred percent sure the prophecy meant her. Although she didn't know why, she was so certain about it.

"Cool prophecy," Swiftpaw finally conceded. The ginger medicine cat gazed at her with a puzzled gleam in his eyes. She thanked him for treating her pad, and exited the den. Then, she picked a thrush from the fresh-kill pile to eat with Starlingpaw. The moment she heard Flamepelt's words, she knew that her life would no longer be the same. Or will it?

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**So... was that okay? I hope it was. I know the ending of this was lammmee, but I just couldn't think of anything else. Yay! Okay, we're starting to figure out more and more pieces of my lame prophecy, eh? Ooh, ooh ooh! So keep your ears pricked for Flaw!! ;)**

**Special thanx to my reviewers: Wildstar272819. WOOT, I love your reviews! Keep reviewing for my sake!! **

**Nightshimmer~ yup, the allegiances just spent so much time.**

**Shadowhawk~ WOOT! My friend!**

**and everyone else!! Thanx for reading!! And REMEMBER TO LEAVE A REVIEW!**


	12. Chapter 10

**Yo everyone. Enjoying the story so far? HOPE SO! WOOT! We reached Chapter 10! 10-chapter-anniversary! Whoever reviews on this chapter first gets a Rainpaw plushie! And whoever writes the best review gets a Swiftpaw plushie! Keep reading, hope you like this chappy! Read and REVIEW!!**

**Chapter 10**

Rainpaw skidded through the bramble bushes, searching for a hairy-leafed plant with blue or pink star-shaped flowers. Finally she identified a batch of burdock growing near a narrow stream. Sighing she fretted, _Apprentice duties are so annoying! Why do I have to help Mothwing collect herbs?_ Attempting to be positive, she scolded herself, _That's because you offered to help in the medicine cat's den yourself. You think that being with Mothwing more often will help you know more about the prophecy, and if Mothwing receives another message from StarClan, you'd be the first to know!_ Rolling her eyes, she shot back, _Still, I'll have to pry on her and Willowshine. I don't like prying. _The soft stems of the burdock plants muffled inside her jaw. _I got to figure out the next part… _Fate is for speed and storm to unfold_… Oh, who are speed and storm? _Silently she prayed for StarClan to send another message to Mothwing or Willowshine.

Bursting into the medicine cat's den, Rainpaw meowed with burdock in her mouth, "Hwere are ymour hwerbs." A light gray tabby she-cat laughed lightheartedly, and replied, "Thank you, Rainpaw." Quickly placing the herbs in the storage, she padded outside the den. A dappled golden pelt brushed past hers. _Mothwing!_ Turning around quietly, she hid behind the bracken bush she and Snowpaw had used for hiding earlier. This time she was alone, and it was much easier to be kept concealed. With Snowpaw there would be a lack of space.

"Willowshine! I've received another message!" Mothwing exclaimed with a hint of hope in her voice. Willowshine cocked her head and meowed, "What message?" The golden tabby flicked her tail and snapped, "From StarClan, of course!" Willowshine's blue eyes glimmered, and she asked, "Then what are you hesitating about? Tell me what they told you!" Mothwing shifted her paws uneasily, and mewed, "I have no idea what it means, but Crookedstar and Silverstream came to me… Silverstream said 'Shadows know what you know. They have received a prophecy as you are. Their speed will help your storm.' Then Crookedstar cocked his head, and meowed in a shrill voice, 'Shadows have received words of that _"The stream of the moon will collide, the falling stars will destroy and find flaw, the storm will clear the path of perfection, and the speed will collaborate with storm to save it all."_ You need know of storm's identity, and to find her, you must find speed.' Then they faded away! That's ridiculous, right? I don't get what it means at all!" Now Mothwing was half-shrieking, Rainpaw wondered if she even had to hide. Any cat could hear her outside the den!

Mothwing's words continued to echo in her mind. She had to know more. _StarClan, send Mothwing more messages!_ Just when she began to pray, Willowshine lifted her gaze, "Speed… There is still a way we can find storm without finding speed." Ears prickling, Mothwing asked, "How?" The gray tabby she-cat replied, "We can try putting 'storm' at the back of each cat's name. Mistystar would be Mistystorm, and her apprentice Rainpaw could be Rainstorm. Wait, _Rainstorm_." Rainpaw's eyes widened. The medicine cat apprentice's voice dropped into a whisper. "It must be her!" Rainpaw felt the fur on her back prickle wildly. _Me? How can it be me?_

She felt dizzy now. And confused. Mothwing dipped her head and meowed, "We should keep an eye on Rainpaw. We will need her." The two medicine cats then departed the den to speak with Mistystar. _What? _Unbalanced, she scrambled out of the medicine cat's den, and Dewpaw sped toward her. "Are you okay, Rainpaw? Why were you in the medicine cat's den? Were you hurt?" The gray tabby tom's eyes were full of affection that burned Rainpaw's pelt.

"Don't worry," she insisted. "I'm perfectly fine, just slightly dazed." The tom nodded kindly, and they both padded toward the fresh-kill pile. When she and Dewpaw settled down to eat their fish, a white tabby she-cat pounced toward them. "Hey there!" Snowpaw yelled loudly. A small trout was in her jaws, and they began to eat. Fish meat still in her mouth, Snowpaw meowed, "Pouncetail taught me fighting moves today!" She batted the air with her paws. "He said I will be a great warrior!" Purring, Rainpaw mewed, "Did he say you would be a great warrior if you shut up?" Her tail drooping, Snowpaw joked, "You hurt my feelings!" Smiling, Rainpaw touched noses with her friend. "Well, why are you still bouncing up and down?"

They laughed, and Rainpaw began, "Yesterday we met a ShadowClan border patrol." Dewpaw lifted one ear. "Really?" She nodded, and then heard a loud voice, "What happened?" A tortoiseshell tom joined them, his amber eyes gleaming. It was Deerpaw. Rainpaw tilted her head and meowed, "Well, a cream-furred she-cat said RiverClan cats weren't very assertive." Hummingpaw mingled them, and declared, "Yup! And I held my chest so high, I think I scared a ginger ShadowClan apprentice!" Tumblepaw was with her, and he mewed scornfully, "Yeah, right. That ginger cat probably thought you were killing yourself, holding your chest so high." Soon all the apprentices were chatting with each other and Frostpaw defended Hummingpaw, "Don't be so mean to your own sister, Tumblepaw!" Grinning, Rainpaw meowed, "I _know_, Tumblepaw, your sister is just trying harder than you to be a good warrior." Goldenpaw echoed her words, and Rainpaw flashed her an annoyed glance.

Dreamily, Tumblepaw boasted, "You know, if I were ever to become the center of a prophecy, like Firestar of ThunderClan was, I would be the best warrior there was. I would even be Tumblestar!" Hummingpaw rolled her eyes. "Ew, Tumblestar is a mouse-brained name!" Angrily, Tumblepaw argued, "Is not!" His sister growled, "Is too!" The siblings continued to bicker, and Rainpaw shrugged at Snowpaw. _If I were to ever become the center of a prophecy…_ There it was again. The prophecy. Ever since Willowshine had made the statement, Rainpaw couldn't stop thinking about the prophecy. The discussion with her fellow apprentices made her forget it for a while, but Tumblepaw brought it up again._ Mouse-brained Tumblepaw_, she sighed.

After she went on a hunting patrol with Mistystar, Reedwhisker, and Icewing, she placed the four fish she caught on the fresh-kill pile, and padded to the elder's den to renew their bedding. Moss in her jaws, she thought more about the prophecy. _If I am storm, who can speed be? Silverstream said that shadows know what we know, too… and they have a different prophecy with the same meaning. Shadows… can it be ShadowClan? Speed… Who is the swiftest cat in ShadowClan? Swiftest… swift… _Swiftpaw_! _The name flashed inside her mind. Now she knew what it meant. The prophecy. She had figured it out. Now she just needs to know the fragments of it— why Moonstream will collide, and how she and Swiftpaw can unfold fate.

_Okay, let me say the prophecy again._

_Moonstream will collide and fate is for Rainpaw and Swiftpaw to unfold. _She cocked her head. Did that sound right? She hoped so, because now that she was part of the prophecy, she'd do whatever it takes to fulfill it. But how could she fulfill it, when she barely knew _how_? That was until Goldenpaw shared something with her. "Rainpaw," the golden tabby apprentice called. "You're smarter than me, so I want to ask you something. Do you know who speed and storm are?" Rainpaw's ears pricked. How did Goldenpaw know?

Quickly, the golden she-cat explained, "I met a loner named Starry. I was going to chase him out of our territory, and he told me he wanted to see speed of shadow and storm of river, not me. I was so confused, he escaped." Rainpaw's eyes widened. _Why would a _loner_ know about the prophecy?_ Swiftly, she meowed, "Where did you see that Starry?" Goldenpaw shifted her paws uncomfortably, and replied, "Well, I saw him near the border we share with ShadowClan… wait!" Suddenly, Rainpaw pounced off speedily. She _had _to see this Starry.

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**Did you like it? If you did, REVIEW!! And now you know the prophecy more. What do you think will happen next? Watch out for the next Gathering! And what does "Starry" have to do with the prophecy?? Keep reading to find out!! ^^**


	13. Chapter 11

**By the way~~ This is a good chapter, so I hope you think so, too! Anyways... CHAPTER 11! I would also like to give out the plushies I held for contests last chappy: the Rainpaw plushie to~~NIGHTSHIMMER!! And the Swiftpaw plushie to... Wildstar! Now read and review!!**

**Chapter 11**

Hunting… Swiftpaw wandered along the dappled pine trees, stalking a mouse. She was hunting alone, as she had gain permission from Darkpool. Swiftpaw actually liked hunting alone, because she could clearly scent the odors around the undergrowth and hear more of the soft rustling of prey. Speedily she raked her claws across the small mouse, and killed it. Burying the fresh-kill, she continued to hunt, her ears pricked for the smallest of sounds. Her paws were muddy after digging on the earth, and it felt strangely comfortable. "Let's see if I can find some more prey around the borders…" she murmured to herself. But actually, she just wanted to take a look at the RiverClan border to see if Rainpaw was there.

Sniffing, she trailed towards the border they shared with RiverClan. Standing on a familiar spot, she realized that was where they met the patrol of Mistystar, Voletooth, Dapplenose, Tumblepaw, Hummingpaw, and Rainpaw. She wanted to call out the name of her friend. Laughing lightly, she sighed. _Why am I so eager to see her? She isn't even my… friend._ Padding closer towards the border, but not crossing it, she continued to check the scent. Suddenly an odd scent unraveled around her. Loners.

Soon another warm whiff embraced her, and a memorable scent danced around her. _Rainpaw!_ Whipping around, she spotted a blue-gray she-cat staring at her. "Swiftpaw," Rainpaw exclaimed. "Remember the prophecy I told you? Well, Goldenpaw says there's a cat that knows about it! And I've figured out what it meant!" Swiftpaw shot back, "Me too. Flamepelt received a prophecy too. It seems to mean the same as yours." Quickly, she repeated the ominous words in a shrill voice, and told her what Yellowfang and Raggedstar had told Flamepelt. Dipping her head, the gray apprentice replied, "Yes. And guess what? You and I will save the Clans from Moonstream." Swiftpaw's eyes widened. Huh? _Excuse me; we're saving the Clans from _Moonstream_?_

Then it hit her. The stream and the moon could only be Moonstream. Rainpaw then told her about Starry, the loner who knew about their prophecy, according to Goldenpaw. Swiftpaw sniggered. "Then we _must_ find him—"

"Looking for me?" A smooth, soft voice sounded from the bramble bushes in the middle of the borders. A ginger tabby tom with white paws, chest, and tail-tip and yellow eyes stepped out from it. Rainpaw's blue eyes glowed. "Can you possibly be…?" The ginger tom nodded. "Starry, yes." Swiftpaw shook herself out of the shock, and demanded, "How do you know about the prophecy?" Starry cocked his head, his golden eyes gleaming. "Why do you think I am called Starry? I read the stars and receive prophecies like your medicine cats do. StarClan entrusted me with their secrets and prophecies, for me to pass them on equally as your medicine cats would." Awed, Rainpaw meowed, "Then can you tell us the meaning of it?"

Starry blinked. "To do that, you must embark on a journey with me and my family. Come on. Follow me, it is time you meet them." Swiftpaw felt strangely obedient, and followed the wise tom along with Rainpaw. There were four cats waiting for them beyond the bramble bushes. A very light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes sat there, waving her tail, with three small bundles of fur bouncing beside her. One was a tortoiseshell with amber eyes and white paws; another was a gray tabby with dark blue eyes and a white chest, and lastly, a light brown tabby with yellow eyes and a white tail-tip. They apparently were the tabby she-cat and Starry's kits. The mother of the kits dipped her head. "My name is Poppy, and I am Starry's mate. This," she meowed, pointing to the tortoiseshell, "is Rose. The gray tabby is Lavender, and the light brown tabby like me is Tansy."

Swiftpaw liked their names; they all had a tinge of flowery in them. Lavender asked cheerily, "What's your name?" Smiling, Swiftpaw meowed, "I am Swiftpaw, and this is Rainpaw," she flicked her tail at the RiverClan apprentice. They were all she-kits, and Starry was the only tom in their family. Prodding Rainpaw's shoulders, Poppy meowed, "Will you two decide to come with us on the journey? We too are eager for answers." Blinking, Swiftpaw shot a glance at Rainpaw, who nodded.

"I will tell my Clan medicine cats and leader that I must leave for a journey to figure out the means of the prophecy," Rainpaw declared. "And that I will ensure my own return." She then stared at Swiftpaw, who replied, "I shall do the same." Poppy and Starry smiled, and Rose, Lavender, and Tansy bounced up joyfully. Deep inside, Swiftpaw didn't know if it was truly right or wrong. _We're just going to figure out the prophecy, then go home._ That was exactly what she was thinking when they left Starry to return to their own camps.

It turns out, Flamepelt had already told Littlecloud the prophecy he received, and Littlecloud told Russetstar. They had already suspected that Swiftpaw may play a part in the prophecy. When Swiftpaw entered the leader's den, she didn't know what to say. Loudly, Russetstar called out, "Enter." Swiftpaw padded into the den, and began: "Russetstar, you probably know that I am a part of a prophecy." Russetstar's lip curled as she meowed, "Yes, I know. But how do you?"

Swallowing hard to lie, Swiftpaw choked out, "A loner named Starry told me. He says StarClan entrusts him with their deepest secrets." Russetstar stared at her with her dark green eyes, and then meowed, "And why have you come to see me?" Swiftpaw quickly replied, "Starry says I need to travel afar with him to find the secret of the prophecy. I _must_ go, Russetstar. You must understand how—"

"I didn't say you couldn't go yet!" snapped Russetstar impatiently. "You are dismissed. Come back soon, though. And you may go to Littlecloud to get some traveling herbs." So she burst out of the leader's den, relieved that Russetstar had allowed her so easily. Smugly, she treaded into the apprentice's den, and a sudden random thought trailed into her. _I never got to dig up that mouse I caught._

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	14. Chapter 12

**Hello to all of you who have been reading Flaw. We reached 20 reviews! Yes, you make me happy by reviewing. Seriously. So review after you read this chapter. Yes, another special chapter with a special purpose I'm not telling you, like the chapter with Skypaw's POV. So yup, read to find out!**

**Chapter 12**

"See you, Rainpaw," Snowpaw whispered softly, upset at her best friend. Mistystar said there was a kind of herb that StarClan told Rainpaw to fetch, and that her best friend had to journey afar. It was ridiculous! Why would StarClan want an apprentice to get a weird herb? That was what normal RiverClan cats thought, but she knew the secret. Rainpaw had told her. It was the prophecy, and her best friend was a part of it! Snowpaw wanted to go with Rainpaw, but Mistystar told her that StarClan has sent cats to accompany her. So, tail drooping, Snowpaw had to stay behind. Dewpaw was also very upset with Rainpaw leaving, and had insisted strongly on going with her. Snowpaw had already gotten over her small crush on Dewpaw, because he, apparently, showed great interest in Rainpaw. Since Snowpaw was a loyal friend, she was not going to keep messing with Dewpaw. Now she, Frostpaw, and Deerpaw have become quite good friends. Of course, the blue-gray apprentice was still her best friend.

Deerpaw prodded her shoulders, and exclaimed, "Hey, don't be sad you can't go! _I_ wouldn't want to go get some kind of stupid herb." _You know nothing_, Snowpaw hissed silently. Frostpaw nudged the tom and scolded, "Well, Snowpaw is just eager for adventure!" Rolling his eyes, Deerpaw shot back, "I doubt it!" Growling, the white tabby apprentice began, "Let's go. Pouncetail, Beechfur, Streamleaf, Creampelt, Dapplenose, Voletooth, and Maplewood are going hold a small apprentice fighting contest, remember?"

Frostpaw's tail dropped with dismay. "Rainpaw is going to miss such a fun tournament!" The pretty white apprentice sighed heavily, and they quickly padded toward the training grounds. Snowpaw had to fight with Frostpaw, and she told herself, _Don't worry. Remember all the things Pouncetail taught you yesterday._ She batted her paws at Frostpaw, accidentally punching her on the shoulder. Frostpaw kicked herself up, and twirled around, kicking Snowpaw's face. Swiftly, Snowpaw pinned her friend down, and put a paw on her throat. She had won!

"Good job," Pouncetail complimented. "I bet you can even beat Deerpaw! Come on, Snowpaw!" Snowpaw flushed happily, and pounced onto the other side to face Deerpaw. He had beaten Dewpaw. Now Dewpaw was fighting Tumblepaw, Frostpaw with Hummingpaw, and Goldenpaw resting. Growling at her tortoiseshell friend, she began to charge at him, tackling him harshly with her chest. The tortoiseshell tom quickly staggered upward, and attempted to claw her. There was a slight scratch on her snow-white pelt, and she snarled silently. _You'll pay for getting my pretty pelt dirty!_ She kicked his belly, and tripped him. Then she pinned him down, and did the same she had done to Frostpaw.

Pouncetail clapped his paws together, and declared, "Now, Goldenpaw and Snowpaw! You two are the last ones! Whoever wins will be our champion!" Snowpaw glanced at her mentor nervously, and then faced the golden brown tabby apprentice. Goldenpaw didn't look very tough, but she was strong, and not to say pretty. Snowpaw was quite small compared to her, but she was tough enough! Quickly, she charged toward the tabby apprentice. Goldenpaw spread her paws, ready to tackle Snowpaw out of the way. Just before reaching Goldenpaw, Snowpaw dove upward, and landed on the golden tabby. Snowpaw twisted around speedily to pin her down, but the golden she-cat was too strong for her.

Goldenpaw shook Snowpaw off her back, and spat. Then she charged toward Snowpaw and the white tabby quickly side-stepped, holding out a paw in her previous spot. Before reaching the paw she placed out, Goldenpaw sprang to the side, crushing Snowpaw with her weight. Struggling, Snowpaw suddenly went limp. Shrieking, Goldenpaw wailed, "Did I kill her?" Sniggering, the white tabby she-cat wobbled upward and kicked Goldenpaw's belly. Seeing her fall downwards, she pounced up and pinned her down, and slowly placed a paw flatly onto her throat. Smugly, she stared proudly as Beechfur announced, "Snowpaw won!" All the apprentices cheered, and the golden tabby she had beaten gave her a defeated smile. Dapplenose kept licking her fur flat, for it had kinked out in different directions after rolling and pouncing during fighting.

"That was fun!" Snowpaw exclaimed. Her mother gave her a harsh, strong lick. "Come on, Dapplenose, I'm not a kit anymore!" she growled. Ignoring her, the mottled gray she-cat continued to lick her pelt clean and flat. All the mothers of the apprentices did the same when they returned to the camp. Snowpaw was annoyed by her mother. She was no longer Snowkit, but Snow_paw_! If she were a kit, would she have won the competition? Annoyed, she pranced back into the apprentice's den. Turning to talk with Rainpaw, she saw the empty nest. _Oh, yeah,_ she yawned furiously._ Rainpaw went on this "quest" or something, to find the true meaning of the prophecy._ Crouching down, she imagined what Rainpaw would've said if she told her the news of her winning the fighting competition.

Rainpaw would've definitely purr "Good job, Snowpaw! You are simply amazing!" But if the blue-gray apprentice had something on her mind, she would mew, "Oh. That is a good accomplishment." If only her best friend was there. _But I winning in the contest would be nothing when she comes back,_ Snowpaw told herself despairingly. _Her adventure would be much more exciting than that._ Positively, she then told herself: _I can't wait till she returns! She would be telling such a great story!_

Oh, how much she missed her best friend. Had she set off already? Was there anything she could do to help? She wasn't _useless_! Snowpaw began to hunt after the nap, digging up a fish from the stream. That was all she caught that day, because she couldn't concentrate at all. Her thoughts trailed around the topics of "Rainpaw" and "Prophecy". She hoped her friend would return soon. Meeting up with her mentor for a border patrol, she set off near the borders, hoping to refresh her thoughts. They met a ShadowClan patrol of Darkpool, Whitewater, and Snowbird. _I thought Darkpool had an apprentice?_ Snowpaw's lip curled as she stared at the mottled gray she-cat. _What was that apprentice's name? Yes… I think so… Was it Swiftpaw?_

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**So, did you like it? Yes, it was shorter than usual, but did you? Anyways, if you like my stories, please also read my new story, where I put in poems about cats, called "Hearts" and leave a review if you will. I would appreciate it, by the way.**

**Love you guys for reviewing!! Please keep doing that!!**

**~~Rainpath**

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	15. Chapter 13

**This chapter, you will learn fun, weird, and cool stuff. So give it a read, and review, PLEASE!!!!!!**

**Chapter 13**

"So," Rainpaw meowed, "Where are we going for this 'journey', then?" They had gathered near the border ShadowClan and RiverClan shared again. A ginger she-cat with white patches padded forward. "Yeah, Starry, you said we had to go on a journey. A journey where, could that be, then?" The ginger tabby tom between them closed his eyes, and replied, "We will travel afar, beyond the Clans and all you can imagine." Trying to be helpful, Poppy added, "We've been there a few times. Starry named it the Starlight Cliff. It is an amazing place, where the skies are showered with stars at night. We go there to receive special messages from StarClan. Sitting on the tall cliff embraced with stars and the moon helps him grow close to StarClan." Rainpaw dipped her head. _That sounds quite interesting,_ she thought. _Starlight Cliff…_

Rose prodded her on the shoulder with one small tortoiseshell paw. "This will be a great journey!" she growled playfully, batting Rainpaw's leg with her paws. Purring, Swiftpaw asked, "How do your kits even make it there, if it's a faraway journey?" Starry meowed calmly, "We carried them when they were young. But now they enjoy walking themselves. We have built stamina for them in our previous journeys, and they are always ready to travel." Rainpaw shrugged when Swiftpaw shot her a glance after Rose, Lavender, and Tansy held their chests smugly. She and Swiftpaw then handed out the traveling herbs provided by the medicine cats. Starry and Poppy swallowed it quickly. Lavender bit it once, and then growled, "Yuck! This tastes so bitter and yucky!" Tansy spit out half of an herb, and wailed, "It tastes so slimy!" Staggering upward with a sickened look, Rose spat, "I'm _not _eating these!" Swiftpaw rolled her eyes, and Rainpaw mewed quickly, "Swiftpaw and I will hunt first. We're all pretty hungry, right?" The kits nodded their tiny heads, with the traveling herbs still on the ground. So they raced off, and Swiftpaw demanded, "What was _that_?"

"Listen," Rainpaw meowed, trying to sound serious. "When I was a kit in the nursery, Willowshine told me that there used to be a pretty RiverClan medicine cat named Brambleberry." Rolling her eyes, Swiftpaw growled, "What does a pretty medicine cat have to do with—"

"Can you please just _listen_?" snapped Rainpaw impatiently. "Brambleberry had come up with an idea of wrapping herbs inside fresh-kill for sick kits to eat. So all we have to do is—"

Swiftpaw interrupted her again with a loud purr. "Wrap the traveling herbs inside fresh-kill!" Rainpaw rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Exactly." So they began to stalk mice and shrews. Arrogantly, the ShadowClan apprentice meowed, "I thought RiverClan only ate fish." Exasperated, the blue-gray apprentice shot back, "We also eat water voles, mice, and shrews. And I thought ShadowClan only ate _frogs_ and _toads_?" Swiftpaw flinched, and retorted, "Hey, frogs and toads have a… well, _unique_ taste! It's a pity you don't know what they taste like!"

"I'd rather not know, thank you," Rainpaw replied. They broke into laughter, but the ShadowClan apprentice snapped, "We should stop laughing! We're scaring away all the prey." Rainpaw was burying a mouse. Her eyes flickered with amusement. "Really? Isn't too hard for me, but it _should_ be hard for ShadowClan cats…" She smiled slyly. Swiftpaw shot her an irritated look. They continued to hunt, and in the end caught enough fresh-kill for all their companions.

They snuck the traveling herbs into a mouse and two shrews. "I get the mouse!" Lavender boasted happily as she snatched the small gray creature away from the fresh-kill pile Rainpaw and Swiftpaw made. They pushed the two shrews toward the other two kits, who squealed in delight. After finishing their prey, Rainpaw glanced at the kits to see their reaction. "Yum!" they exclaimed. "Although it's a little bitterer than normal prey!" Sniggering, Swiftpaw whispered to Poppy, "We put the traveling herbs in there." Starry and Poppy nodded in approval.

"Let us sleep first. But we must not sleep near the borders. Let's go to our nest, Poppy," Starry directed them beyond the bushes in the border they shared. They skidded past fields of grass and spotted a hollow under a tree. Starry and Poppy's homes were underground. Padding into the hollow, Rainpaw saw a collection of herbs inside a gap of the wall of rock. Nests were beside the gaps of the wall. Starry explained, "We put our bearings inside these gaps. They are very useful for storing water, herbs, and sometimes prey."

Rose bounced up and down, and squealed, "This is my nest!" She flicked her short, tortoiseshell-colored tail at a small bundle of grass and moss happily. Grinning, Lavender and Tansy introduced their own nests to Rainpaw and Swiftpaw, and Poppy meowed, "You two can sleep on Starry and my nests. We will sleep with the kits." Dipping her head, Rainpaw and the ShadowClan apprentice said their thanks. Sunlight dappled into the hollow from the entrance, and Starry declared, "We shall rest till sunset." He and Poppy placed a circle of moss onto the entrance, blocking the sunlight.

Rainpaw settled onto the warm nest, and closed her eyes. She had a dream again. Apparently, she had entered the hunting grounds of StarClan. Awkwardly, she watched a huge light brown tabby tom with green eyes and a twisted jaw hunt down two mice. Seeing his crooked jaw, Rainpaw guessed he was Crookedstar, the RiverClan leader Mothwing had once mentioned. Crookedstar dipped his head in greeting, and hastily, Rainpaw did the same. He offered her a mouse, and she gratefully accepted it. When they finished eating, Crookedstar began to speak. The former RiverClan leader glanced at Rainpaw and meowed, "Rainpaw, beware." Cocking her head, the blue-gray apprentice replied, "Beware of what?" Crookedstar shut his eyes solemnly.

"Beware of an enemy bathed in sunlight," he mewed in a penetrating voice. "They may seem like the good and shine, but shadows lurk nearby." With that, he faded away, leaving the RiverClan apprentice both upset and confused. _Why don't StarClan just give straight messages?_ Rainpaw grumbled without a sound, irritated. _What would I know what to look out for then?_ Finally, she concluded, _I'll just look out for everything, then._ Then, she exited the hunting grounds of StarClan, entering her own dream of chasing rabbits and mice.

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**WHAT?! Rainpaw dreamed of chasing rabbits and mice?! xD**

**Aww, Rose, Lavender, and Tansy are such sweet little kits. First one to review this chappy gets plushies of them!**

**And I know Starlight Cliff is a somewhat weird name, but xO I THOUGHT ABOUT IT FOR 5 MINUTES, DOING NOTHNG BUT THINKING ABOUT WHAT I SHOULD NAME IT!! **

**So... REVIEW!**

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	16. Chapter 14

**Excited? Sorry I haven't been updating often! As a sorry gift, I give you... an extra long chapter! But I do not guarantee that it's not a filler... xP I got a little writer's block on this one. Literally. Or writer's laziness rabies, something like that. Anyways, here's a new chapter of Flaw!**

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**Chapter 14**

The kits were still bounding up and down excitedly, to Swiftpaw's amusement. She had to resist the temptation to purr whenever they trip themselves with their short, plumy tails. They had already set off toward the east. Well, at least she _thought _it was the east. Rainpaw and she both trusted Starry. He was a noble cat, and somehow, Swiftpaw felt safe with him and Poppy. Rainpaw had already told her about what Crookedstar told her. Swiftpaw thought it was a peculiar dream, but no cat could ever doubt StarClan. Since she had received ominous dreams from StarClan herself, she never lost faith in them even once. _Beware of an enemy bathed in sunlight_, Rainpaw's voice sounded inside her. _They may seem like the good and shine, but shadows lurk nearby._

Though it was a confusing prophecy, Swiftpaw figured they just had to keep journeying and watch out for— well, _everything_. Lavender thrust herself into the air, squeaking loudly, "I am hungry!" Immediately the two Clan apprentices offered to hunt. They had to stay in shape and keep up with practice. Swiftpaw stalked a mouse as Rainpaw reached a river to hunt fish. They led the kits to the river to drink, and began eating. She and Rainpaw had again made a well-stocked fresh-kill pile. Swiftpaw picked out a mouse, Rainpaw a water vole, Lavender, Rose, and Tansy tried fish, Poppy chose a shrew, and Starry took the same as his mate.

The land they were now on, after traveling for a very long period, was a dry land with small, short trees and sandy grounds. There were some rivers, and they often came across tall canyons, cliffs, and caves. It was an interesting land, and Swiftpaw took time to study the new herbs and plants she saw, along with new creatures. She was fascinated by the creatures, and even some she'd seen before, but took different forms. That was until something horrible happened. The group arrived near a rocky cavern with sand covering the ground inside.

"We will rest here until sunset," Poppy announced brightly. Swiftpaw nodded along with Rainpaw. She liked the soft texture of the sand. It soothed her pads whenever her paws got sore from walking. But occasionally some sand would slip into gaps of her pads, and she would feel uncomfortable as if there were rocks inside her pads. Swiftpaw had never traveled so far away from home before. On the way, Starry taught them about new herbs, such as "moonleaf" as Starry calls it. Moonleaves were the other type of cure for greencough, blackcough, or whitecough. It was useful, and Rainpaw announced she'd bring home some of them on the way back from the Starlight Cliff. Swiftpaw didn't know why the RiverClan apprentice decided to, but she figured bringing some home, too, would be a big help for her Clan.

They lied down onto the sandy floor of the cave, and Swiftpaw heard some hisses echo in the cave. Maybe she was already in her dreams. She had no idea, until the hiss became louder. Rainpaw asked, "Is anyone hearing hisses like I do?" Loudly, Swiftpaw shouted back, "I did!" Their companions all murmured their agreements, until a dark shadow loomed over them. _Snake!_ The kits screamed, and Rainpaw yelled, "There's snake in here!" The group charged out of the cave as the snake slithered swiftly behind them. Sunlight dappled over them as their screams echoed their way into the cave.

Fearfully, Swiftpaw glanced back at the huge creature. It was sandy-brown, and was definitely over two fox-lengths long. Its blood red eyes glinted and it bared its long, ferocious red-tipped fangs. Its head was small, but where its neck was supposed to be was wide. There was a pattern of two staring eyes behind its neck. Starry hissed, "It's a cobra!" They ran desperately, with Swiftpaw in the lead. She was always smug about being the fastest cat in the Clans. Even WindClan cats couldn't beat her. But right now, she didn't care a bit! The cobra continued to pursue them ferociously. Why wouldn't it give up the chase?

Swiftpaw searched for a safe base every time they passed a tree or bush. There was never one. As she ran, she shut her eyes, praying, _StarClan, please keep us safe from the snake…_ When she bumped into something! No, some_one_. She smelt the scent of a cat, maybe a rogue or two, and opened her eyes. In front of the group were two cats: a huge golden tabby tom with dark green eyes and a dark tabby she-cat with sky-blue eyes. The tom growled, "Snake! You all hide behind us!" Without hesitating, the group obeyed his orders. The two strangers let out a battle cry and leaped onto the snake. Swiftpaw was awed by their bravery.

The dark tabby bit the snake's tail as the golden tom fastened his jaws on its throat. Mutinously, the snake hissed loudly and spat out venom. It attempted wildly to bury its sharp, poisonous fangs into the she-cat's throat, but the she-cat was tight on its tail. Finally, after battling for what seemed like a lifetime to Swiftpaw, the snake was fought off. Starry dipped his head. "Thank you, you two. We would've been snake-food if you haven't come in time." The she-cat smiled a mysterious smile, and mewed, "You mean if you haven't bumped into us in time. You're welcome. My name is Sabrina."

"I'm Fury," the golden tabby tom meowed. His voice was strong and powerful, and he was a huge, strong cat. Swiftpaw admired his strength. His glimmering pelt seemed to shine like the sun, as if it were bathed in sunlight all the time. Sabrina smiled and asked kindly, "Where were you head to?" Rose yawned loudly and replied, "We were going to go to the Starlight Cliff! We're so hungry! Do you have food? We're supposed to rest till sunset but that trash-eating snake came!" Poppy lashed her tail crossly at the tortoiseshell kit and scolded, "Rose! Do not be so impolite!"

Sabrina laughed and told them quickly, "Sure, you can rest with our group. We're just two cats from a group that lives here. We work together to survive, and catch prey for each other. It's really nice to be in a group like that. Of course, only I am just a cat from it. Fury is our leader." She flashed a smile of adoration at Fury, who shot back a plain glare. The large tom then mewed, "You may rest in our camp for as long as you want." Slightly disappointed, Sabrina whispered to them, "By the way, our group is called Rage. Follow us, now." Swiftpaw liked Sabrina a lot, but she thought Fury's attitude was arrogant.

"We got to watch out for that Fury," Rainpaw whispered softly into her ears. Swiftpaw cocked her head. "Why? Because he's arrogant and obnoxious?" Rainpaw quickly replied, "That's one reason. Another is his pelt." Swiftpaw blurted out, "What's wrong with a golden tabby pelt? It looks good, that's all. Like it's always bathed in sunlight— _wait_! That must be what the message means!" The blue-gray apprentice beside her flicked her tail crossly and answered, "Exactly. But we just have to watch out. We're not absolutely sure the prophecy means him. But when we need to make a move, we make it." Quickly, Swiftpaw nodded back, and Rainpaw began to walk with the kits again.

They arrived at the camp of "Rage". When Rainpaw asked why it was called Rage, Sabrina explained that they just thought it sounded good and could scare "raiders" off. "What are raiders?" Swiftpaw asked immediately, and Fury told them they were a bunch of dung-eating cats who wanted to raid their camp for many moons. The camp was dry and sandy, with nests made of grass and moss. There was a pool near one of the nests, and Swiftpaw spotted some cats drinking from it. There was a pile of fresh-kill in the middle of the camp. Swiftpaw figured they lived like a Clan. The fresh-kill pile was small, and looked like it was collected from leaf-bare. It was newleaf now!

She stared at Fury's pelt again. _Beware an enemy bathed in sunlight, _she echoed. This cat was nothing good, she was sure of it. This cat was dangerous.

**

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**

Is Fury good? Is Fury bad? Make your own predictions, and we'll get on with it soon! By the way, Moonleaf is just a lame, lame made-up thingymajiga that I felt like doing. xD See ya!

~~Rainy


	17. Chapter 15

**Finally, another chappy is up! Read and review please! **

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**Chapter 15**

"Hey, young 'un, you got't quit it, will ya?" An elderly cream-colored tom mewed crankily as Rainpaw rolled back and forth uncomfortably on the messy nest they had to sleep on. _Ugh_, she wailed, frustrated. Even though the cats in "Rage" were friendly and had offered them shelter, they didn't promise _good _shelter. They had to sleep in a stuffy space along with elders! _I knew it_, she hissed silently. _Fury is evil! Evil! _Evil! _How can he let us be so uncomfortable?_ Annoyed, she meowed softly, "Sorry." Then she got up from the prickly nest and slowly wandered in the camp.

It was a messy and dirty camp, and Rainpaw could tell Fury didn't organize it well. Just when she was about to walk toward one of the bigger dens, a voice sounded. "Can't sleep?" Rainpaw whipped around swiftly, and spotted a familiar dark tabby she-cat. "Hello," Rainpaw called out. Sabrina smiled, and they both padded outside the camp, taking a stroll. "I've noticed how you are wary of Fury," Sabrina meowed, shifting her paws uncomfortably. Truthfully, Rainpaw nodded, and the tabby she-cat replied, "He can be dangerous, but he is a strong cat. That's why we chose him as our leader."

"Mm," Rainpaw bowed her head in respect of the dark gray tabby. "But strong cats don't make the best leaders." Sabrina grinned and answered, "I know that. But the members of Rage never doubt Fury. Anyways, let me tell you something. I'm risking my life telling you this," she warned. Rainpaw's lip curled. Sabrina was going to tell her something about Fury? Suddenly at cheery voice sounded. "Let me join the secret, too." It was Swiftpaw. The ginger she-cat padded to their side.

"What is it, Sabrina?" Swiftpaw asked cheerfully. Sabrina's blue eyes glimmered at she meowed, "Fury plans to do something horrible. He wants to conquer these dry, sandy grounds. He desires for more power, and he wants me to take part with him. He is going to kill every cat who passes by our land, starting with your group." The two Clan apprentices gasped. _So Fury _is _evil!_ Sabrina continued: "I know this only because he told me about it. I used to love him, but now… he's just evil. I don't love him anymore. So now I want to ask you two if you can bring me away from Fury, away from Rage, along with your group." Nodding, Swiftpaw mewed, "Okay. We're leaving tomorrow morning. Right away." Rainpaw shook her head and meowed, "No. We're leaving _now_. Fury might kill us if we tell him we're going to leave. We'll have to leave as soon as we can. Let's go wake Starry, Poppy, and the kits up now." Sabrina gave them a quick nod and they snuck back into the camp of Rage.

Just when they reached the entrance and entered the elder's den to fetch their companions, they noticed something strange. The only cats in there were Starry, Poppy, and the kits. "Wake up!" Rainpaw, Swiftpaw, and Sabrina nudged them madly. Their eyes popped open, and Starry asked, "Where are the other cats?" Swiftpaw narrowed her eyes and mewed, "I'm afraid we're too late." They cautiously padded out from the untidy den, and found that all the members of Rage except for Sabrina were blocking the entrance. Fury was in front of all the cats.

"Sabrina," Fury hissed furiously. "I thought you'd keep the secret well." Sabrina snarled in return, and growled angrily, "You were going to kill all the cats who pass by our territory! That wasn't right! And you were planning to kill whoever disobeyed you, too! You were going to kill any one of us if we argue just once!" Fury flashed a murderous smile. "And I plan to do that to you eight…" He yowled a battle cry. But none of the cats of Rage moved. Angrily, Fury roared, "Why aren't you attacking?! I said _attack_!" No cat moved. Suddenly, they all walked right past Fury, and joined Rainpaw and her companions.

A tortoiseshell tom yelled, "We're not going to follow your orders! If we even argue, you'd kill us. Sooner or later, none of us would have lives!" The other cats cheered and echoed his words. Sabrina grinned at the tom and nuzzled him happily. Then she yowled, _"Attack!"_ The cats of Rage shouted and hollered and charged at Fury. The huge golden tom stared at them fearfully, and soon, ran for his life. When the treacherous tom was out of sight, the cats of Rage began to cheer.

"Thank you," the tortoiseshell tom meowed delightfully. Sabrina pressed close to him. "My name is Flint. Sabrina and I have been ready to rebel against Fury a long time ago. It was time to take action. We must thank you all for doing this for us." Cats cheered gratefully at them. She didn't know what to say, and it seemed to process a bit too fast. Swiftpaw approached Sabrina and asked, "So are you coming with us?" Sabrina shook her head and replied, "No. These cats have chosen me as the new leader of them. Watch out for Fury on the way, though. By the way, the new name of our group is now called Freedom. My cats will escort you far enough, just in case Fury appears again," she added. Starry approached Flint and dipped his head respectfully. "Thank you, Flint and Sabrina," he mewed. "We wouldn't have survived without you two."

***

Rainpaw counted five cats escorting them. The cats were Owl, Sizzle, Beam, Freeze, and Liz. They were strong cats, and she always felt safe with them. As they traveled on, they finally reached the end of the endless dry land. They spotted grass growing and rivers flowing nearby, and the cats soon returned to the camp of Freedom. _I hope Sabrina's "Clan" will do fine, _she thought happily. After all, they saved their lives. Then, she glanced at the sky and meowed to StarClan, "Thank you, StarClan. If you hadn't warned us about Fury, I might not be praying to you at the moment." Then, she silently prayed that the rest of the journey would be safe.

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**EVIL FURY! EVIL EVIL KITTEH! He has a sick, twisted mind, eh? Killer spree! So, I guess I played too easy on our group. Don't worry, they will meet more dangers and eventually they'll have to fight. Oh, yeah. Next up is the Allegiances of _Freedom_. Just some extra crap to play around with, yeah. There won't be any more _Freedom _for the rest of this book. The sequel to this will, though. Just a bit. And this is sort of a filler chapter, to let Rainpaw realized that this journey wasn't gonna be easy, and to fulfill the prophecy. Yup. Review please. And I'd love suggestions for what to go next...**

**~~Rainy**


	18. Cats Of Freedom

**Yeah, as I said, this was random crap to play with when I was bored. And I thought you'd like to know about these unique kittehs... So here... the Allegiances of _Freedom_!**

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**Cats Of _Freedom_**

**Leader**

**Sabrina- **dark tabby she-cat with sky-blue eyes

**Deputy**

**Flint- **tortoiseshell tom with green eyes

**Camp Watchers**

**Klee- **orange tom with light brown eyes

**Dance- **lively golden tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

**Song- **silver she-cat

**Owl-** brown tom with lighter brown streaks across pelt, huge yellow eyes

**Camp Fighters**

**Sizzle-** dark ginger she-cat with white underbelly

**Beam- **yellow tom with blue eyes

**Frosty-** frosty white tom with icy blue eyes

**Liz- **pale gray she-cat

**Kit Mothers**

**Stream- **gray tabby with blue eyes

**Mate: **Frosty

**Kits: **Snow (white she-cat) and Creek (gray tabby tom)

**Cloud- **pure white she-cat

**Mate: **Klee

**Kits: **Sunny (white she-cat with orange flecks on pelt)

**Seniors**

**Sky- **cream-colored tom

**Spots-** spotted gray she-cat

**Hail- **white tom

**Breeze- **dark brown she-cat

**Hunters**

**Sleet- **light gray tom with white spots and blue eyes

**Dodger- **slim ginger tom

**Cinder- **sleek black she-cat

**Feather- **silver tabby she-cat

**Lightning- **ginger tom with dark amber eyes

**Leaf- **brown-and-white tom

**Dusty- **gray she-cat

**Steam- **pale gray tabby she-cat with very pale blue eyes

**Youngsters**

**Muddy- **brown tom with green eyes

**Splash- **blue-gray tom with blue eyes

**Moss- **gray she-cat with green eyes

**Silver- **silver she-cat

**Willow- **light brown tabby she-cat

**Moony- **dark tabby tom

**Trainers**

**Granse- **broad-shouldered dark brown tabby tom

**Ripple- **silver tabby she-cat

**Bronze- **bronze-colored tom with amber eyes

**Outsiders**

**Fury- **huge golden tabby tom with green eyes

**Wince- **dark brown tom

**Prickle- **tabby tom with fur sticking out at all angles

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** Yes, I spent some time on those crazy names. xD I had fun making them up. Yeah, Kit Mothers are Queens, Seniors are Elders, Youngsters are apprentices, Trainers are like mentors, but they all train all the Youngsters, and Outsiders are, well, rogues or loners. Camp watchers guard the camp, camp fighters fight for the camp. Hunters hunt for _Freedom_. Yeah, pretty dumb, all made-up, but it spent some time, so appreciate it. **

**Rainy *yawns***


	19. Chapter 16

**Mates. Yeah. Rainpaw and Swiftpaw need mates, eh? And who do ya think they'd be? DUH! I think the pairings are pretty cute. The ones I made. xD SwiftStarling and RainDew xD. Yah, you got it. Starlingpaw is all good-natured, Swiftpaw is aggressive, Rainpaw is smart, and Dewpaw is calm. Get the idea? Yeah. Anyways, this is gonna be a special chapter, and the next one will, too. This is Starling POV. xD Guess who would be next then? Yeah, you got it! DEWPAW! Also, I need suggestions on Starlingpaw and Dewpaw's warrior names. They're hard to match... Dewfall? Dewdrop? Dewsnow? Dewwhatever? Dewsomething? Starlingwing? Starlingpelt? Starlingtail? Starlingheart? Starlingwhat? PLEASE GIVE SUGGESTIONS AND REVIEW!! Thanks!! Oh yeah. There's a TON of flashbacks here. I think they're kinda cute, so I hope you like these sweetie kit flashbacks!**

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**Chapter 16**

Starlingpaw was worried sick and scared to death. Half a moon had passed ever since Russetstar announced that Swiftpaw was commanded by StarClan to venture with some loners. It was awkward to the Clan, but Starlingpaw knew why Swiftpaw really set off. Swiftpaw always told him everything. There wasn't a secret she'd keep from him— or at least he hoped so. His best friend went on a journey to find the true meaning of a prophecy Flamepelt received. He was proud of Swiftpaw, because she apparently was the center of the prophecy.

But he felt more than friendship for her. He loved her, but she never noticed. He loved her ever since he set eyes on her. A memory returned to his mind:

_"This kit will be joining us," Murkheart told Frogkit and Starlingkit softly. Curiously, Starlingkit cocked his head and saw a small ginger-and-white-furred she-kit clamped inside his mother's jaws. The black queen settled down on her nest and placed the tiny kit down gently. Starlingkit crawled to the new kit in the nursery and asked, "Mother, who is she?" Murkheart crouched down to lick the black, white, and gray kit, and replied, "Darkpool found her near the border we shared with ThunderClan." Frogkit growled, "Ew, is she a ThunderClan kit?" Starlingkit crept closer to the new kit protectively._

_He stared at his brother's green eyes and exclaimed, "Such a pretty cat can't be ThunderClan!" The white tom narrowed his eyes and shot back, "She still can be ThunderClan!" Murkheart stepped between them and scolded Frogkit crossly, "Well, this kit is now ShadowClan. Understood?" Frogkit whimpered, and then nodded slowly. Starlingkit resisted the temptation to purr when the kit prodded him with one paw. Darkpool entered the nursery and meowed, "How is Swiftkit?" Confused, the two kits asked, "Who's Swiftkit?" The mottled dark gray she-cat smiled slightly and replied, "This little ginger kit is our Swiftkit. She's going to be a ShadowClan cat. It seems like she's only about one moon old, according to Littlecloud."_

_Starlingkit cocked his head and asked, "Why isn't she talking?" Darkpool smiled and coed, "She's too young. You and Frogkit just recently learned how to talk, too, and you two are two moons olds. She probably wouldn't remember anything either." Inquisitively, Starlingkit padded to the small ginger kit sitting fragilely beside Darkpool. "Hey, Swiftkit," he whispered. He could've sworn he heard the kit mewl back. Worried for the sweet new kit, he asked, "Whose milk will she drink, Darkpool? You don't have kits. Mother is the only queen right now."_

_"Exactly," Darkpool meowed. "Swiftkit will suckle your mother's milk, of course." Starlingkit nodded, and looked at Swiftkit. The one-moon-old kit slowly treaded to him and gave him a soft lick. He looked down at her, and met her amber eyes. Her eyes were bright and sparkly, like deep amber pools. It was beautiful. Starlingkit thought she was the prettiest kit he ever set eyes on. _The memory was still fresh inside his head. He loved Swiftpaw so much. Another sweet memory swept into his mind.

_"Starlingkit," a voice sounded as Starlingkit nearly fell asleep. He lifted his head and mewed, "Frogkit, why did you call me?" The white tom with light brown paws lifted his head and growled, "It wasn't me!" The voice sounded again. "Starlingkit, Frogkit." Starlingkit turned his head and saw something that made his fur bristle with joy. Swiftkit was talking. Her voice was like honey, soft and sweet! The ginger-and-white she-kit mewled, "Hi, Starlingkit. Hi, Frogkit." Their eyes widened and Frogkit exclaimed, "She just talked!" Happily, Starlingkit meowed, "And the first word she learned was Starlingkit!" He lifted his chest high. Swiftkit bounded toward them and gave them both an excited lick. "Hi, Starlingkit and Frogkit."_

_Blissfully, Starlingkit coed, "Hi, Swiftkit!" and Frogkit did the same. Swiftkit smiled widely at them, and as her huge amber eyes met his own green ones, Starlingkit felt like his heart was going to melt. _It was another great memory that he loved. Swiftkit had been such a lovable little kit. They were made for each other! He could still remember their apprentice ceremonies. He and Frogpaw had done a great sacrifice for her that time.

_"Remember our plan, Frogkit?" Starlingkit was reviewing their plan with Frogkit. They padded into the leader's den, and Blackstar glanced at them warily. "Why are you two here?" Smiling, Frogkit mewed, "We want to wait a moon for our ceremony!" Blackstar's lip curled as he placed his eyes on the two naive kits. "Why?" Starlingkit lifted his chest and mewed, "We don't want Swiftkit to be the only kit in the nursery when we become apprentices! We want to be apprentices together!" Blackstar stared at them like they were crazy. "Are you sure?" he asked uncertainly. "No kit has ever requested that. It would be a great sacrifice just for Swiftkit."_

_The two kits nodded eagerly, and Blackstar finally sighed and dipped his head. "All right. It's your own choice, though. Do not regret." Frogkit and Starlingkit squealed and bounced up with joy. Swiftkit would be so glad when the ceremony comes! _Starlingpaw had to let out a soft laugh at the nice memory. They waited an extra moon to become apprentices just for Swiftpaw. After that moon, the ceremony finally came. _Starlingkit couldn't stand still. He, Frogkit, and Swiftkit were about to become apprentices! It was great. Swiftkit padded quickly to him. He always wondered how Swiftkit could run so fast. The ginger she-kit mewled, "It's our ceremony today!" Starlingkit nodded, and they all walked out of the nursery after Murkheart groomed them for what seemed like the millionth time. _

_"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highbranch for a Clan meeting," Blackstar yowled as he raced up to the thick branch. "Starlingkit, Swiftkit, and Frogkit," Blackstar meowed. Starlingkit quickly stepped forward along with his brother and Swiftkit padded forward. "By naming apprentices, we show that ShadowClan will remain strong and survive. Starlingkit, from now on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Starlingpaw." He turned to the ShadowClan cats, and turned his gaze on a single warrior. "Dawnpool, you are a young and brave warrior, and are ready for an apprentice. Starlingpaw has courage as you do. You will be Starlingpaw's mentor. I know you will pass on your strength and bravery to this apprentice, and teach him the skills that will make him a brave warrior of ShadowClan." Starlingpaw quickly touched noses with his new mentor. The cream-furred she-cat flashed him a smile. He was finally an apprentice._

_The Clan chanted his name loudly. "Starlingpaw! Starlingpaw! Starlingpaw!" Starlingpaw felt extra happy when he saw that Swiftkit was chanting the loudest. Blackstar turned to face the two kits now. "Frogkit, please step forward." His brother obeyed immediately. Loudly, Blackstar meowed to his brother, "Frogkit, from now on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Frogpaw." Again, he turned to face the warriors. "Tigerheart," he called out. The tabby tom's eyes lit up with joy. "You are a young warrior, but you have proven your worthy again and again, and are now ready for an apprentice. You will be Frogpaw's mentor. I trust you will pass on your strength and wisdom in battle to your apprentice, and teach him the skills that will make him a strong warrior of ShadowClan." Starlingpaw chanted his brother's new name the loudest, and watched as he and Tigerheart touched noses._

_Now only Swiftkit was left to name. Starlingpaw smiled widely, and waited for her to be renamed. "Step forward, Swiftkit," Blackstar called out. Obediently, the swift ginger-and-white kit stepped forward. "Swiftkit, from now on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Swiftpaw." The respected leader then faced the warriors. "Darkpool, you are a loyal warrior, and you keep to the code," he began. "You were the one who brought Swiftpaw in. You brought her in, so she is naturally your responsibility to mentor her. I know you will pass on your wisdom and loyalty to your apprentice, and teach her the skills that will make her a loyal warrior of ShadowClan." Swiftpaw crouched to Darkpool and they touched noses fleetly as the Clan chanted loudly. Starlingpaw made sure he was the loudest. They were finally apprentices!_

Starlingpaw missed his best friend so much. He loved her so, but Swiftpaw never noticed even once. He'd care about her so much, and insisted on going with her on the journey, but Russetstar wouldn't let him. Sometimes Starlingpaw craved so much for Swiftpaw's company, he'd begin to daydream. Soon, Swiftpaw would return, and he planned to confess his love for her at the best moment there could be… But the problem was, _would _she return? _Would _she accept his love for her? _Would she?_

_

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_**Aww, good-natured Starlingpaw all the way. He's worried SICK for Swiftpaw (awww!)!! Anyways, would Swiftpaw return? Would Swiftpaw accept his love? Oh, watch out! Anyways, the next chappy shall be Dewpaw POV. More of future mate stuff... o.O I'm sorry if you find this boring but I gotta set things up first! I hope you enjoyed those super sweet little cute flashbacks as well. I loved writing those. o.O To be honest, I didn't spend as much time on this chapter and it was REALLY long. Why? Well, because it was easy to write flashbacks. Oh, and Mudfur's Warriors Guide helped me with the ceremony thingie as well. Thanks, Mudfur!! Anyways, ppl, cya!**

**~~Rainy**


	20. Chapter 17

**Yah. Dewpaw's POV. It's gonna be a little similar to the Starlingpaw chapter, but a little different. I like this chappy. :3 I thought it was pretty cute! So READ!! The flashbacks are a little shorter, but I guarantee you'd find them as very sweet and cute flashbacks. x3 ReAD!! Oh yes! I borrowed a phrase I totally loved, from Coby's story, Skystar's Story (I'm her editor :3). It was "like deep amber pools", and so I wanted to use it myself, so I used it in the last chapter. Well, enjoy 17!**

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**Chapter 17**

"Dewpaw, Rainpaw told me to tell you this," a white tabby she-cat stood uneasily before a dark gray tabby tom. Dewpaw cocked his head, and quickly asked, "What is it, Snowpaw?" Snowpaw shifted her paws, and Dewpaw saw that the small apprentice was nervous. He noticed that he'd grown larger than Snowpaw now. He used to be smaller than any cat, but now he was the same size as Deerpaw. The white tabby she-cat suddenly blurted out: "You know Rainpaw went on this journey, right? Well, before she left she told me to tell you the real reason why she went!" Jumping up at Snowpaw's long sentence, Dewpaw quickly recovered and meowed, "What's the real reason then?"

Snowpaw lifted her head and meowed, "She's the center of a prophecy Mothwing received from StarClan. And she went on a journey with other cats StarClan sent to find the true meaning of the prophecy." Dewpaw's lip curled; he had not expected… such an answer. Now he was shaking, and he asked, "Seriously?" Snowpaw nodded and replied, "I wouldn't lie." Blinking, Dewpaw found himself grinning. Thanking Snowpaw with a dip of his head, he quickly walked away, and began to think about Rainpaw.

He was always fond and protective of her. She was so special to him… He loved her. Ever since Mistystar brought her into the nursery, she was smart and reliable, and Dewpaw always admired her from far away. Now they were both apprentices, and Dewpaw found himself getting close to Rainpaw. She was a pretty and cheerful cat, and memories flooded into him. Those adventures all the apprentices had when they were kits!

_"Mistystar, who is she?" Dewkit tilted his head along with the other kits as their Clan leader carried a blue-gray kit into the nursery. She placed the pretty kit gently onto the ground and replied, "This is Rainkit. She will be joining RiverClan. We found her by the stream, near the ShadowClan border." Deerkit wrinkled his nose and groaned, "Yuck! Is she ShadowClan?" Defensively, Dewkit shot back, "She's a really pretty cat! ShadowClan cats are never as pretty!" Frostkit grinned and prodded her brother on the shoulder. "Dewkit, you're right! She doesn't stink like ShadowClan!" _

_Dewkit nodded gratefully at his sister. The other kits gathered around Rainkit. Dewkit saw that she was a blue-gray she-kit with a white chest. Her eyes were barely open, but he could see a faint brilliant blue in the gaps of her eyelids. Willowshine padded beside Rainkit and licked her warm. "She's about one moon old," the medicine cat apprentice told them. "That's one moon younger than Dewkit, Deerkit, Frostkit, and Goldenkit, and the same age as Snowkit. That's why she can't talk yet, like Snowkit." The older kits dipped their small heads, and they all gathered around Rainkit to watch her for the rest of the night._

_That night, Dewkit barely slept. He kept watching the pretty kit, admiring her sleek pelt and listening to her soft snores, until finally his mother Minnowpelt made him sleep. _Laughing lightly, Dewpaw smiled at the fond memory. He was so fascinated by Rainkit when she first entered the Clan! Memories were swirling around his head, and he quickly picked up another sweet one. _"Hey, Dewkit, Snowkit!" Rainkit's soft, smooth, and beautiful voice sounded inside Dewkit's head. He opened one bright blue eye to see Rainkit bouncing up and down before him. Snowkit was doing the same. "Look, Dewkit! Graymist is giving birth to kits!" she laughed and bounced up again. The kits all watched as Mothwing expertly nipped open a sac and licking a kit the wrong way. Another sac came and a bundle tumbled out of it after a nip of Willowshine. There was a dark ginger she-kit with white patches (who, later grew many dark fur around the patches and turned into a tortoiseshell and white she-kit) and a pale gray tom-kit. _

_Rainkit smiled widely. "Someday, I will have cute kits like that, too!" she exclaimed with joy. Looking at her intently with hope shimmering in his eyes, Dewkit asked, "Whose kits would it be?" Cocking her head, Rainkit replied, "I don't know! Maybe they would be Snowkit's kits!" Deerkit laughed mockingly, and yelled, "She-cats can't have she-cats as mates!" Blinking, Rainkit protested, "But I like Snowkit! She's my best friend!" Grinning, Frostkit explained, "Only toms can be a she-cat's mate!" They all burst into laughter except for Dewkit. He had hoped Rainkit would say those kits would be his and Rainkit's._

_"Well, I don't like any toms yet!" Rainkit announced loudly, and Goldenkit smiled and meowed, "Me neither!" All the she-kits began to agree, and Deerkit flashed Dewkit a puzzled glance. Dewkit just shrugged, and wished that Rainkit had said she liked him. Well, _he _liked her, but he wished she liked him back._ Now Dewpaw was chuckling at his memory. He had _liked _Rainpaw, but now he developed stronger feelings for the gray she-cat. He _loved _her. Memories swept into his mind, making him quiver with joy.

_"Dewkit, from now on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Dewpaw," Mistystar meowed loudly. She then announced that his mentor was Creampelt. They touched noses, and Dewpaw's ear pricked at the loud chant the Clan let out. Rainkit was cheering the loudest! He couldn't help but smile blissfully. Rainkit blinked twice and gave Dewpaw a big grin and that made his day. She was practically screaming his name, and Frostkit had to hush her. All the kits received their apprentice names except for Snowkit and Rainkit. However, they were not envious. They had fun together in the nursery each day, Dewpaw knew. Snowkit and Rainkit were really best friends and they did everything together. _Dewpaw sighed at the bittersweet memory. If Snowpaw remembered that memory, she would feel bad. After all, finally, Rainpaw wasn't doing something with her. Rainpaw was off to do something bigger than they could ever imagine. Dewpaw sudden felt so.

_Dewpaw poked his head into the nursery. It had been a quarter moon since his apprenticeship. He visited Rainkit and Snowkit each day. Well, he only wanted to visit Rainkit, but Snowkit was always with her, so literally, he was visiting them both. But they weren't in the nursery! Where could they be? Practicing fishing? Or swimming? He padded outside, and stared at the stream. Two shapes were in the stream! He could faintly make out a blue-gray one and a white tabby-striped one as well. Rainkit! And Snowkit! _Oh, no!_ he thought as his heart raced, skipping beats. Swiftly, he raced to the stream._

_What he saw made him laugh. Rainkit and Swiftkit were playing, floating on their bellies. "Come on, Dewpaw!" Rainkit laughed sweetly. "It's so fun floating around on your bellies!" They splashed and laugh and Dewpaw meowed playfully, "You two are scaring all the fish away!" Sniggering, Rainkit replied, "Well, no one is fishing near us, so we're pretty much leading the fish to their paws!" Amusement flickered in Dewpaw's eyes. Rainkit was so smart already. It must be why Goldenpaw always admired the younger kit so much and basically followed Rainkit around whenever she had time. The two kits were adorable in the water, but Dewpaw kept his mouth shut. He knew if he said they looked good with water soaked in their fur they'd complain that they were not newborn kits. Laughing the last time, Dewpaw quickly returned to apprentice duties after a loud call of Creampelt, telling him to help the elders rid of their ticks._

Finally, Dewpaw realized how much he missed Rainpaw. He _had _to tell her how he feels about her some day, right? But when? He didn't know. _Let's just wait until the best time arrives, _he concluded. _And I'll confess my love. _He loved her so much! Rainpaw was too busy to notice that, of course. But he knew he had to do something about his feelings. He had to be brave… Even if there were possibilities that he'd be rejected, he would try. But that was until Rainpaw returns…

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**I know, such good-natured toms. Psh. But I thought Rainkit was sooo cute! I loved it when she said, _"I don't know! Maybe they would be Snowkit's kits!" _I mean, c'mon, if you find that sick, you have a twisted mind! They're KITS! And that was sooo cute! xD And the floating on belly part was adorable. Rainkit and Snowkit were such cute little kits! x3 Anyways, hope you liked this chapter. Ooh, Dewy plans to express his love? How about Starlingpaw? Well, let's flow back to Rainpaw and Swiftpaw. They got to GET HOME first, right?! Oh, and I'm still looking for names for Dewpaw and Starlingpaw. Suggestions please. :3**

**~~Rainy**


	21. Chapter 18

***gasps* Another chapter! Yay! Finally, we're back to Swiftpaw and Rainpaw's adventure. No more lovey-dovey! Yahoo? Anyways!! In this chapter, they will get rid of a certain cat once and for all... I had so much fun writing the fight scenes! *dances* By the way, if you noticed, in chapter 15, I said the cats who accompanied them were Owl, someone, someone, someone, and Freeze, right? Well, it was supposed to be Breeze. O.o Sorry! And Nightshimmer, those are GREAT names! I am definitely considering Dewshine! But I'm not sure about Starlingsoul though. It makes Starlingpaw seem a little too cool. And little Starlingpaw's not that cool, just too nice. x3 Anyhu, you've got COOL names! So... a Dewpaw plushie to you!!**

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**Chapter 18**

The group continued to travel farther. When Swiftpaw said good-bye to Breeze, she stated that they were lucky there were no raiders. She was curious about raiders, but she rather not know. Swiftpaw missed her best friend, Starlingpaw. She had told him about the prophecy before she left, and she knew she'd feel much better if he came with her. But Starry said no cat but them could go. They had to experience something special that other cats couldn't know about. Thinking more about that just made her even more excited. Where was the Starlight Cliff? _When _would they reach it? Swiftpaw knew over half a moon had passed since they left the Clans. She hoped Starlingpaw and Frogpaw didn't become warriors before she returned. But they probably should've became warriors a moon before her, since they were one moon older than her, and had became apprentices the same time as her because they wanted to become apprentices with her.

"Rainpaw, do you miss RiverClan?" Swiftpaw suddenly asked. Staring at Swiftpaw oddly, Rainpaw replied, "Erm, of course I do. Don't you miss ShadowClan?" Swiftpaw nodded, and they continued to walk. Tansy bounced up and down and growled, "Look! That's the big berry bush!" The Clan apprentices turned her head to see where Tansy's tail was pointing at. There was a huge bright green bush with paw-sized glazed red berries. _Could they be extra large… _deathberries_? _Starry warned, "Be careful. Do not _ever _eat one of those." Swiftpaw realized her guess was right. They were deathberries. _Gigantic deathberries, _she corrected herself. Poppy smiled kindly and meowed, "However, that means that we're already near the Starlight Cliff. When we're near it, our sides would always be rowed with these huge deathberry bushes." Rainpaw nodded, her fur bristling with joy.

_We're going to reach the Starlight Cliff, _Swiftpaw thought. _Then, we can go home! _She smiled to herself, thinking about Starlingpaw. She never missed him as much as she did right now! They continued to travel through the maze of bushes, and finally, the kits' bellies grumbled. Rolling her eyes, Rainpaw offered, "We're going to hunt now, then." Rose puffed up her chest and growled, "We're not hungry!" only to hear another loud rumble of her own belly. Laughing, Swiftpaw purred, "Come on, I know you are." Then the two began to hunt. Swiftpaw crouched low and began stalking a mouse. Swiftly, she pounced upwards and closed her paws around the mouse. She cursed silently when she saw that she had closed her paws around nothing and a small tail trailed away from one of the bushes.

Rainpaw already caught a mouse and Swiftpaw quickly concentrated again. There were only mice in the bushy grounds, annoying Swiftpaw. She was much better at catching frogs. Annoyed, Swiftpaw closed her eyes to listen carefully for prey and feel the light steps of mice. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, leaped forward, and clawed the rustling mouse she identified. Finally, her first catch. She grabbed the limp body of the mouse and buried it quickly. Rainpaw was stalking her second mouse, and Swiftpaw quickly moved on to the mouse nibbling on a poppy seed hiding inside the bushes. Carefully, she softly stepped toward the mouse, and quickly raked her claws across it. Miss. She was up for the chase now, and followed the mouse intently. She caught up with it easily because of her strong running skills, and killed it. _Maybe I should just chase mice instead of stalking them, _Swiftpaw thought smugly. Shaking her head, she thought, _I shouldn't; it'd waste too much energy. _

When she padded back to where she and Rainpaw were hunting, she saw that the RiverClan apprentice had finished burying her third mouse and was hunting her fourth. Irritated, all the smugness Swiftpaw had felt disappeared. They had to catch seven mice, and Rainpaw was probably going to catch four. Swiftpaw would just catch her third mouse. So she crouched down, pressing her belly against the ground, and began to move carefully toward a mouse she spotted near a small daisy. She made sure her shadow did not loom over the small mouse, and dove forward, raking its small gray pelt. Her third catch was done. Rainpaw was digging up her other three mice, and they quickly headed back to where the cats settled.

Starry, Poppy, and their kits were sharing tongues near some boulders surrounded with moss and grass. There were still many bushes surrounding the boulders, and Swiftpaw wondered how there could ever be so many deathberries. Swiftpaw headed toward them slowly, observing her surroundings and looking out for plants. "I had four catches," Rainpaw announced to Swiftpaw, who rolled her eyes with annoyance. "You—"

Suddenly, a loud caterwaul flashed across their heads. Rainpaw shot around with the ShadowClan apprentice, and they saw the kits squealing with fear. Looming for their companions were three cats: a golden tabby tom, a dark brown tom, and a tabby tom with fur sticking out at all angles. _Fury! _Swiftpaw's back fur bristled mutinously as she and Rainpaw dropped their mice. _What is he doing here?_ She and Rainpaw raced to the three cats. _Who are the other two cats? _Glaring at Fury's back, Swiftpaw raked her unsheathed claws across it before Fury could say "mouse". Fury shrieked in pain, and whipped around to face the ginger-and-white she-cat. Rainpaw growled furiously, and snarled, "How can you do this?"

"You destroyed me," Fury hissed. "I swear I will destroy you…" He didn't even wince in pain as blood gushed out of his back. Swiftpaw glanced at Rainpaw, who looked like she was about to explode. "I'm going to stop you," Rainpaw muttered outrageously. She gave Swiftpaw a swift glance and Swiftpaw nodded. _I'm ready, _she thought, focusing her eyes on the huge tom. _We're going to get rid of him— now! _Swiftpaw jumped over him and landed on his back, biting his thick fur powerfully. Fury let out a hiss of pain, but it was over quickly. Rainpaw pounced upward and dove for his neck, delivering the death bite. Blood gushed out of his throat as it quickly formed a crimson pool under his lifeless body. The two other cats flashed one look at their leader, and ran away screaming, their fur bristling and their fear scent spreading immensely.

Starry stared at them and the kits began jumping up and down playfully on Fury's body. Then the ginger tabby dipped his head. "Thank you for saving our kits," he meowed gratefully. Poppy flashed a cross look at her kits, and scolded, "Say thank you, you three! And _don't _bounce on dead bodies!" Swiftpaw couldn't help but purr, and Rainpaw quickly began licking Swiftpaw's pelt. "What?" Swiftpaw jumped up, surprised. Rolling her eyes, Rainpaw shot back, "Your pelt's bloodier than mine, you know. His back had more blood than his neck." Looking down Swiftpaw realized her white patches were smudged with blood, and began cleaning herself with horror. Now they were safe— at least saf_er. _Fury was gone, and that was good. Rainpaw smiled and the two triumphed over their victory. Fury was no match against them. Picking up her mice, a realization hit her. The two of them, together, Swiftpaw knew, could beat any cat at anything.

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**Ehh? Swiftpaw realizes that she and Rainpaw make a perfect combo! Ehhhhh?! I have no idea why I added some useless details like the raiders and those humongous deathberries. xD I guess the raider stuff is just to explain a bit that I probably won't include raiders (I forgot them in the Allegiances for Freedom, but who cares.) And the deathberry stuff is just to explain a bit about the grounds they were in. At first I planned for the deathberries to have something to do with Fury dying, but I just HAD to write a fight scene, or else I couldn't write on. :3 Anyways, aww! The kits were bouncing on Fury's dead body?! How naive. lol. Anyways, see ya!!**

**~Rainy**

**P.S. Review!! REVIEW!!!!!!!!!**


	22. Chapter 19

**At last. This is a very long chapter, my favorite by far. Rainpaw will learn secrets she never thought she'd learn.**

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**Chapter 19**

"This," the ginger tabby tom announced before them, stepping aside for them to observe the view in front of them. His bright yellow eyes gleamed off the moonlight. "Is the Starlight Cliff," he ended his sentence briskly. Rainpaw stared out in awe. Before them was a tall cliff surrounded by blossom trees. Petals were all over the ground, making the earth smooth and comfortable to step on. The moon was pale and full, giving off a bright glow almost as strong as the sun's. Stars shimmered across the sky radiantly, and the Silverpelt shone brighter than ever. Starlight dappled across the cliff, filling every single part of the sky. Feathery dark clouds swirled across the midnight-blue night sky, and starlight combined with moonshine to lighten every single shadow. Birds' chirps and songs could be heard echoing through the cliff, and shooting stars showered down from StarClan. It was extremely beautiful, and could not be described with words. _This is—_ Rainpaw couldn't find the right word to describe it— _amazing! _She gazed up and down at the sight for several more heartbeats, and then quickly turned to face Swiftpaw with a flashy grin. Swiftpaw grinned back and whispered, "This is so beautiful." Nodding in agreement, she turned to face Starry, and blinked gratefully. Rainpaw had imagined the Starlight Cliff many times on her own, when Poppy described it. But Poppy's description was beyond the truth. It was more amazing than anything she'd _ever _see. It would be so for eternity.

Starry gazed at his companions, and meowed, "Now, we can sleep at the edge of the cliff." Quivering with fear, Rainpaw fretted, "What if something bad happens? What if we fall off the cliff during our sleep? It looks really deep." The orange tom's starry-yellow eyes glinted and he meowed, "StarClan will protect us, and shield us with starlight. When we sleep there, we would receive dreams from them. Then we can return." _What? _Rainpaw thought abruptly. _How can that be? So we came so far, just for this? _As if reading her mind, Starry mewed, "This dream would hold the secrets you wish to know. It is what we've came for." After traveling out of the bushy maze, the cliff was what they first saw.

"Don't think so far yet," Poppy soothed her calmly. "We've done this over two times. It's perfectly safe, and we have to climb up first," she added. They just had to climb up from the grass and to the cliff, and they would sleep, and dream. It seemed all too simple for Rainpaw. She'd thought it would be more elaborated than that. But it was simple, and she was fine with it. After taking deep breaths, the group hiked slowly up to the cliff. When they finally reached the top, they were panting. It was a steep hike, but easy enough. Staring from the top of the cliff, Rainpaw suddenly felt safe, despite the height of the huge cliff. She felt warm, as if stars were burning her pelt. Maybe Starry was right. The starlight shielded them from danger. She hoped so.

The group closed their eyes, and Rainpaw settled beside Swiftpaw to sleep. She'd feel oddly warm with her, although she did not know why. Maybe Swiftpaw _was _important to her. Leopardstar's words echoed inside her head. _"Rainpaw, if you don't go to the Greenleaf Twolegplace by dawn, you will lose someone important to you." _Then Mistystar's words passed her mind. _"That strange scent I smelled on you when I first found you… there's a tiny tinge of it on Swiftpaw, too!"_ What if Swiftpaw was her sister? What if… her mother had abandoned them both, separating them both so they wouldn't know each other? But why? Rainpaw made so many guesses, her head ached. She was always right when she guessed something. Did that mean her theory was true? _No, _Rainpaw shook her head. _Don't count on it, _she told herself. Quickly, she trailed to sleep.

"Welcome, Rainpaw," a voice vibrated inside her head. Rainpaw shook herself awake, and glanced up. Standing before her were three StarClan cats. Those cats were a huge light brown tabby with a crooked jaw, whom she recognized as Crookedstar; a huge, pale reddish-brown tabby tom with amber eyes; and a blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes who smelled of ThunderClan. The other two cats smelled of her own Clan. "I am Oakheart," the tom stepped forward and touched noses with Rainpaw. The she-cat smiled warmly and meowed, "And I am Bluestar of ThunderClan." She padded forward to lick Rainpaw on the cheek.

Warily, Rainpaw meowed, "Why are you in my dreams, Bluestar? You're ThunderClan." She didn't mean for it to sound threatening, but it came out harshly. Bluestar just laughed lightly and told her, "I am of StarClan now. Are there any questions you must ask, Rainpaw?" Nervously, Rainpaw lifted her gaze. She had a few questions, but there was one she desperately wanted an answer for, more than her questions about the prophecy. "I… I have questions, yes… F-first off, is S-Swiftpaw my s… sister?" She choked out the sentence desperately, stuttering more than she expected. Crookedstar shot a quick glance at Oakheart, who dipped his head at the RiverClan leader. The former RiverClan leader turned his steady green gaze on Rainpaw.

"Yes," he admitted truthfully. "She is your sister." Rainpaw swore her heart skipped a beat. She stared back at them, and then closed her eyes. "O-okay," she stammered. "Can you tell me who my parents are, then?" Oakheart narrowed his eyes and mewed, "You wish to know too much. The answer lies within core of the sky, Rainpaw." Cocking her head, Rainpaw inquired, "What does that mean?" Bluestar's blue eyes wearily glanced at me, and replied, "You must figure it out yourself. However, did you come here just to learn of your heritage?" Her question caught Rainpaw off guard. She had been too distracted about everything that she'd forgotten. _I can't believe Swiftpaw is my sister! _Thinking carefully, she concluded: _But I guess we get along pretty well. I should ask questions about the prophecy now… _

Shifting her paws, Rainpaw asked, "Does the stream and the moon mean Moonstream? How is she going to collide and destroy to find flaw? How can Swiftpaw and I unfold fate? What does everything _mean_?!" She realized she had been yelling at the three _cats_, spitting out her questions one by one. Oakheart blinked calmly, and Crookedstar answered, "Yes, but the stream and the moon is not Moonstream herself. It is beyond her control. You must learn." Rainpaw tilted her head, waiting for more answers. Crookedstar continued: "The tiger roars and the hawk swoops, and deep within the moon, evil is scattered. In the dark night, she will really lose control. The pelt of the tiger and the feather of the hawk will cover her fur." The blue-gray she-cat in front of her stepped closer to her, and mewed, "To unfold fate, Rainpaw, you must find flaw before Moonstream, and you must follow fate."

Giving the former ThunderClan leader a puzzled glance, Rainpaw asked, "What do you mean by 'find flaw'? Does it have something to do with the prophecy?" Oakheart spoke up. "Rainpaw, follow your heart. You know what is right, deep inside." Crookedstar dipped his head, and mewed, "That is all you need to know for now." Staring at the leader desperately, Rainpaw wailed, "But—"

"Rainpaw, use your powers wisely," Bluestar meowed. "I am revealing one thing. You and your sister both have powers, Rainpaw. Swiftpaw can run faster than any cat ever. You are capable of making guesses and you can see into the future." Gasping, Rainpaw gaped, "I— I can see into the future? P-powers?" The huge pale reddish-brown tabby tom fixed his eyes on her. "You should notice, Rainpaw," Oakheart meowed. "We know you noticed the way you could guess so many things right. Your other power has not yet awoken, but it will in the right time. Tell Swiftpaw all she needs to know, especially her heritage."

"Wait— please, _wait_!" Rainpaw shrieked as the three shapes of cats faded away. A heartbeat later, she found herself lying down on the top of the Starlight Cliff. She looked up at the stars. _Please, StarClan, _she prayed. _I need more answers. _

_

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_

**Tada? Surprise! Rainpaw finds out that Swiftpaw was her sister!! *gasps* You also found out a lot, right? The prophecy is coming out smoothly, and Rainpaw has powers!! So does Swiftpaw! Swiftpaw also has a second power. I just gave out a spoiler, ya know. Not even StarClan knew of Swiftpaw's to-be new power... Anyways... Can you figure out what the prophecies the three cats gave out? _The answers lie within the core of the sky._ That's the first one from Oakheart. _The tiger roars and the hawk swoops, and deep within the moon, evil is scattered. In the dark night, she will really lose control. The pelt of the tiger and the feather of the hawk will cover her fur. _That's the prophecy of Crookedstar. Bluestar didn't give the prophecy, but she did give out some wise words. Now just wait... WAIT FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER! This will probably be ending after I write about Swiftpaw's dreams and them setting off to return. The second book of Flaw's series, The Fall of the Moon will start out with their return. And a bit more... Anyways, review! And await for the next chapter!!**

**~Rainy**


	23. Chapter 20

**As for Swiftpaw's dream...**

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**Chapter 20**

A ginger she-cat with white patches lifted her gaze to observe her surroundings. She was dreaming— she was sure of that. They finally arrived at the Starlight Cliff, and climbed to the top of the vast cliff. Then the group slept there, waiting for StarClan to enter their dreams. The mystical space she was covered entirely with starlight. A stabled voice sounded. "Welcome, Swiftpaw. I can see that Starry has done his job well." Swiftpaw whipped around with fear at the strong voice…

It was Blackstar. The cat who died because of her. Yet he looked so… calm, and happy. "Blackstar!" Swiftpaw exclaimed, feeling her fur bristle with joy. "I'm sorry." She dropped her head shamefully, and Blackstar touched noses with her, lifting her head. "It wasn't your fault, Swiftpaw," Blackstar mewed softly. "I was meant to die by that time. I am honored to be able to deliver this message." Two more cats padded beside him, one a dark gray she-cat with a broad, flattened face and orange eyes; the second a large dark brown tabby tom with ragged, patchy fur and a ripped ear. "I am Yellowfang," the she-cat rasped, and the tabby tom stepped forward to touch noses with Swiftpaw after Yellowfang. "My name is Raggedstar," he mewed solemnly. "We are here to answer your questions you have carried on for the whole of this journey."

Swiftpaw nodded reluctantly, and stepped backward from Blackstar. "Erm," she began, stammering. "Er— how can Moonstream destroy the Clans? She's so nice and perfect—" She stopped when Raggedstar shook his head and meowed, "That is exactly the problem, Swiftpaw. A single cat without any flaw can only destroy. Without any flaw, a cat cannot stay balanced within their own hearts." _W-what? _Swiftpaw backed off a bit, and asked, "What do you mean? And how can Rainpaw and I save anything? We're just as normal as any cat—"

"No, you're not," Yellowfang growled quietly. Her voice got louder. "You two have powers. With your powers, you will be able to support the three." Disbelief raked Swiftpaw's belly. "W-what? Powers? And what do you mean by 'the three'?" She gasped weakly for breath. Everything the StarClan cats told her so far were disbelieving. Blackstar stepped forward and meowed, "Within the strike of thunder, a prophecy was received. There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of stars in their paws. Fire's kin will bring the lake to peace. You two, with your special powers, will support the Power of Three." Swiftpaw's amber eyes widened with horror and awe. _Rainpaw and I have powers! And the Power of Three… what could that mean? _"What powers do Rainpaw and I _have_?" Blackstar and Raggedstar looked reluctant to tell, but Yellowfang immediately replied, "Rainpaw can guess things and always be right, and she has a hidden power as well. You can run as fast as the wind, faster than any living thing." Swiftpaw's eyes widened. She still remembered why Darkpool had named her Swiftpaw in the first place.

_Swiftkit glanced up at her foster mother. "Murkheart, why did Darkpool name me Swiftkit in the first place?" Murkheart let out a small laugh and replied, "You used to mewl faster than any other kit. When Darkpool found you, you were mewling so fast! But now you can run fast too. So Swiftkit is really a good name for you!" _She had to chuckle at the memory. She felt slightly smug that it was her power. She could run fast… But she was also envious at Rainpaw. How come she even had a hidden power? Raggedstar shot Yellowfang a look, in which the she-cat returned sharply. Swiftpaw quickly moved on to her next question. "What did you mean by _'the falling stars will destroy and find flaw'_ in the prophecy? RiverClan didn't get that in their prophecy." Blackstar glanced warily at her.

"When Moonstream finds flaw," he began. "The sky may collapse. So you must find your own flaw before she does. But even when you found it, nothing will be changed. The dark night is near." Swiftpaw's amber gaze darkened. This wasn't just about cool prophecies and questions. This was about the future of the Clans. "How—" she commenced, but was snapped at by Yellowfang. "I think you've asked enough questions!" Raggedstar dipped his head. "When you return to your own atmosphere, Rainpaw will tell you more to know. Good-bye."

"Wait! I have more questions! Please! What do you mean?!" Swiftpaw yelled, anguished. But the shapes of the three cats already faded away, along with the brightness of the stars.

***

Swiftpaw's amber eyes popped open in an instant. The world seemed much darker than before, as she had previously been in an atmosphere full of stars and brightness. She saw that all her companions had awoken, and whispered to Rainpaw, who was beside her, "What are you going to tell me?" Rainpaw flashed her a look of surprise. "StarClan told me," Swiftpaw explained. The blue-gray apprentice nodded, and took a deep breath.

"You're my sister, Swiftpaw." The ginger apprentice felt her own jaw drop. "W-what?" This time, in a louder and stronger voice, Rainpaw meowed, "You're my sister, Swiftpaw! StarClan told me. But they wouldn't tell me who our parents are. Oakheart told me, _'The answer lies within the core of the sky.' _They also told me to find flaw before Moonstream. Crookedstar said that the stream and the moon is not really Moonstream. It is beyond her control. Then he said, _'The tiger roars and the hawk swoops, and deep within the moon, evil is scattered. In the dark night, she will really lose control. The pelt of the tiger and the feather of the hawk will cover her fur.' _And then Bluestar told me that we must follow fate. She says we have powers. Bluestar told me that I can make good guesses, and that I can see into the future. But she says my second power, the future one, has not yet awoken. Then she told me you can run faster than any living thing." She finished talking, taking another deep breath.

Glancing at Rainpaw, Swiftpaw stammered, "I-I didn't expect that." They both chuckled. "But I'm glad," she added. "You're a good sister." They licked each other and touched noses. Swiftpaw then began retelling the details of her own dream. She went on especially specifically when she reached the Power of Three part. Rainpaw remarked, "I'm just making guesses, but I think what Blackstar meant was that Firestar of ThunderClan had received that prophecy, and the Power of Three is of ThunderClan." Swiftpaw was actually pretty sure she was right. After learning things from StarClan, she had more fate in the mere guesses Rainpaw made.

They had learned more than ever about themselves. How could they fulfill the prophecy? How could they handle their own powers? Swiftpaw didn't know, but she knew that as time flowed on, they must learn to accept their own fates— and, soon enough, find their own flaws.

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**Hope ya enjoyed this chapter! Finally, 20th chapter! Best two reviewers get Rainpaw and Swiftpaw plushies! Flaw is going to end soon, and the second book of its series will come out! *squeals* Soon... I have to plan more first. Anyways, review!**


	24. Epilogue

**Yeah *sniffle*. This will be the Epilogue! Watch out for the continuation of this: Perfection!! I am grateful for every person who EVER reviewed. This is a short epilogue, but like all epilogues, will be short and sweet. This starrs the moment when the group reaches home, in Rainpaw's POV. **

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**Epilogue**

"Look!" Rainpaw called out ecstatically. Her fur bristled with joy as the group glanced down from the hill they were on. Below them was a vast lake with forests and streams; and most of all, cats. They finally reached their home. Her sister Swiftpaw padded beside her, and they both marveled over the sight of their own camps from above. Sunlight warmed up their pelts as they all raced down the hill elatedly. The kits of Poppy and Starry squealed and bounced up and down as they scurried to the border ShadowClan and RiverClan shared.

They were home at last. Rainpaw touched noses with her sister, and meowed, "Let's go back to our own Clans first. Don't tell anyone but cats you can trust our secrets. I'll miss you." They smiled at each other, and then turned to Starry and his kin. "Thank you," Swiftpaw mewed. "You've helped us through the whole journey, and got us the answers we wanted." They had traveled for over a moon to reach the Starlight Cliff and back. They've grown a whole lot. "Yes," Rainpaw dipped her head. "We thank you for everything." The ginger tabby nodded lightly and whispered softly, "You two have learned many things during this journey. Good luck to you for your return. Here are your moonleaves," he added as he shoved a pile of bright green, hairy leaves speckled with white. They both took their share. They were going to bring those back to their Clan.

Rainpaw smiled widely, and pounced off after nuzzling Swiftpaw for the last time. She padded slowly, tracing every detail of the territory. The bramble bushes beside her were still bright and lush, and she was awed by how much smaller the deathberries were back here— compared to the Starlight Cliff's berries. She marveled over the sight as she saw a mole dig its way out from the earth, and then quickly disappeared again. The warm scent of fresh-kill drifted from the direction of her camp. A hunting patrol must've returned! Smiling, she began to walk faster. She sniffed twice, and identified that the hunting patrol was of Dewpaw, Creampelt, and Dapplenose.

Swiftly, she raced toward their direction, and when she saw their shapes, cried out with bliss: "I'm back!"

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**I know, that may be a lame epilogue, but I did want to cry! *sniff* Thanks for ever reviewing. Here I will list out the reviewers I ever had for _Flaw!_ **

**_Novus Ordu Seclorum, Wildstar272819, Shadowhawk, Nightshimmer, Coby Cullen, Kitten96, Shadows of Storm, flowerfern, WarriorsAddicted, Moonstream-Sunstripe, HawkPen (-.-), Hawkfur the Ninja, Willowbark-RiverClan _and _brackenfurlover! _**

**I love you guys. Although occasionally I do get random ones...**

**Hope you liked this story! You'll learn more about this in _Perfection_!! You guys are the best! I hope you'll review the sequel to this, too! See ya!!**

**~~Rainy**


	25. Preview to Perfection

**The sequel to Flaw, Perfection, has come out, in case you haven't noticed. Please read it! Here's a little preview. This is the Prologue of Perfection, and hopefully, you will want to read it after this (I BEG YOU!!) ^-^ **

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**Prologue**

Horror crept inside the white she-cat's body. Was she really going to do this? She glanced down at her two small, mewling kits. Her two kits, a ginger she-kit with white patches and a blue-gray she-kit with a white chest were sitting by her belly, sleeping quietly. How much pain would these kits have to endure because of the choice she'd make? _No, _she told herself desperately. _Whitewing, if you don't give away these kits, they'd die! _Whitewing scolded herself angrily. She decided. She'd follow the warning Ashfur gave out… she was going to give away her kits. They would never know about their heritage, and would never know they were sisters. Although Whitewing felt bad that she had to do so, she knew she _had _to, or else her kits would die. She was _not _going to let her kits die.

She carried her tiny kits up by their scruffs, and padded out of the nursery. ThunderClan would not need her kits. They were destined for something else, and even if it meant to give them away, she would ensure their safety. She decided to give the ginger-and-white she-kit to ShadowClan. This little kit would grow up into a strong, aggressive warrior; Whitewing stared at her older kit. Then she turned her bright green eyes onto her gray kit. With that sleek, blue-gray pelt of hers, she'd be better off in RiverClan, where she had higher odds of being accepted, now that Mistystar was leader. Anyways, if she gave both of them near the borders they shared to ShadowClan and WindClan, ThunderClan would be suspected. Putting the gray-blue kit near the stream of RiverClan would be a good idea. It was near Mistystar's den, and she'd surely take in her kit.

Her thoughts swirled around her head as she stepped out of ThunderClan camp, and headed toward the ShadowClan border. She prayed to StarClan that ShadowClan and RiverClan would both notice her kits. _I must stay strong, _Whitewing thought desperately. She knew she couldn't, though. _Why is giving them away the only way to let them survive? _It was a cold leaf-bare, and snowflakes drifted onto Whitewing's nose. She quickly shook it off, not wanting to sneeze or shiver. It was then that she noticed her kits were covered with snow. Licking them swiftly, she silently hoped that they wouldn't freeze to death as she traveled to their future Clans. _Birchfall, _she thought of her mate. They had discussed this together when Whitewing received the horrific dream. He had agreed they should do so, but even so, Whitewing couldn't make up her mind.

Finally, she reached border ThunderClan shared with ShadowClan, and placed her small kit on the ShadowClan side. The ginger kit mewled wildly, but wasn't able to move because she hadn't learned to walk or crawl yet. Whitewing groomed her for the final time— _Which would probably be the last time ever_, she thought bitterly— and walked away, leaving the tiny kitten mewling and wailing. She glanced lovingly down at the gray kit she was carrying. Her second kit. Both kits were only one moon old, and in the eye of ThunderClan, would be dead. What would she say to ThunderClan? _That I woke up finding my kits gone, _she thought. It was near the time her kits started to walk, anyways. She made sure her pawsteps were soft and stealthy, as she was passing through ShadowClan territory. Luckily, no ShadowClan cats heard her, and she reached the RiverClan border.

Without hesitating, she dove forward lightly, and raced through the snow, placing each pawstep carefully as she ran. Soon, she reached the stream. She glanced down at her young little kit, dangled in her jaws, eyes not yet open. A wave of sadness hit her as she realized her kits would never know her. It was the worst thing a queen could endure. Maybe, even at a Gathering, her own kit could snarl at her. She hoped not. Whitewing wished she didn't have to do this at that very moment. Her kits would never know of their own mother, and would probably think her of a cruel character, leaving them behind. _It's not like that! _Whitewing yowled silently. _It's for your sake, kits, please understand that! _She mouthed the words at the gray kit, who didn't even look up. Gripped with sorrow, the white queen placed the kit down near the stream, and gave her the final licks. The small kit glanced at her direction, and mewled joyfully.

In that instant, Whitewing felt her heart break. She _felt _it. A ripple of pain ripped through her chest like sharp claws. Tears streamed out of her eyes as she walked away, hearing her young little kit mewling in pain, turning her head around to search for her mother. Why did she have to do this? Even if doing this was saving her kits, it felt like it was killing herself. _Oh, StarClan, _she wailed. _Why do you have to do this to me? Why me? _Her steps were hesitant but quick, and she soon reached the border where she placed her first kit. She wasn't there. _A cat must've brought her in! _she thought happily. She sniffed twice, and recognized the scent of the other cat as Darkpool. The mottled dark gray she-cat was a loyal warrior, and Whitewing was glad it was she who had taken her kit in.

***

"These are the warriors going to tonight's Gathering," Firestar announced as he stood on the Highledge. Whitewing felt something grip onto her heart as she glanced up at the flame-colored tom hopefully. "Graystripe, Millie, Squirrelflight, Spiderleg, Birchfall, Brightheart, Lightningbrook, Lilypaw, Duskpaw, Lakespring, Skypaw, and… Whitewing," he finished. Her eyes lit up immediately, and as the other cats stared at her, she realized her fur had fluffed up with joy. She quickly flushed and darkened. Finally, she was going to a Gathering. It had been so many moons and Firestar always happened to not choose her to go to the Gathering. She was desperate to see her kits. _I'm sorry, _she thought as she stared up at the sky. The full moon was bright. _Kits, I'm really sorry for abandoning you… Please forgive me. _Those were her last thoughts as she walked away with Skypaw to the Gathering.

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**Please read and review Flaw's sequel, _Perfection_! NOW! XD**


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